October 10, 2024
Top 10 Stock Centrica Strong Buy Recommendation
How to read the ranks
For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:
Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".
Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".
Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.
Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.
(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).
(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.
Snapshot: Centrica – Top 10 Stock in Diversity Leaders in Europe
Centrica is listed as a top 10 stock on October 10, 2024 in the market index Diversity Europe because of its high performance in at least one of the Obermatt investment strategies. As three out of four consolidated Obermatt Ranks exhibit excellent performance, it is a solid investment where the risk of paying too much for the shares is low, despite a currently slow growth momentum. Based on the Obermatt 360° View of 90 (top 90% performer), Obermatt assesses an overall strong buy recommendation for Centrica on October 10, 2024.
Snapshot: Obermatt Ranks
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Industry | Multi-Utilities |
| Index | FTSE All Shares, FTSE 250, FTSE 350, Diversity Europe, Nuclear, Sound Pay Europe |
| Size class | XX-Large |
When Obermatt identifies the Top 10 stocks in a market, it’s based on a certain investment strategy. The best performing stocks usually aren’t the ones that everyone is talking about (those are often "over-priced" and have low Value ranks).
For each investment strategy, we provide you with more detailed analysis and our recommendation. You see the ranks of the top 10 stocks ranked by that particular investment strategy (360° View, Sentiment, Value, Growth, Safety and Combined Financial Performance).
360° View: Obermatt 360° View Centrica Strong Buy
| 360 METRICS | October 10, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 89 |
|
||||||
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 1 |
|
||||||
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 96 |
|
||||||
| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 95 |
|
||||||
| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | 90 |
|
||||||
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt 360° View of 90 (better than 90% compared with alternatives) for 2024, overall professional sentiment and financial characteristics for the stock Centrica are very positive. The 360° View is based on consolidating four consolidated indicators, with half of the indicators below and half above average for Centrica. The consolidated Value Rank has an attractive rank of 89, which means that the share price of Centrica is on the lower side compared with typical size in indicators such as revenues, profits, and invested capital. This means the stock price is lower than for 89% of alternative stocks in the same industry. The company is also safely financed with a Safety rank of 96. In addition, professional market sentiment is above average compared with other stock investment alternatives with a Sentiment Rank of 95. But the consolidated Growth Rank has a low rank of 1, which means that the company is below average in terms of growth and momentum when looking at financial metrics such as revenue, profit, and invested capital growth as well as stock returns. 99 of its competitors have better growth. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated 360° View of 90, Centrica is better positioned than 90% of all alternative stock investment opportunities based on the Obermatt Method. Three out of four consolidated Obermatt Ranks show above-average performance. The stock has as good value (Value Rank of 89), secure financing practices (Safety Rank of 96), and positive market sentiment in the professional investor community (Sentiment Rank of 95). It is a solid stock investment where the risk of paying too much for the shares is limited, and disappointments are less likely to occur. The company’s growth expectations are below the industry average (Growth Rank of 1), but that could also be temporary since professional investors remain optimistic despite the low growth numbers. The low price as reflected in the good Value Rank could indicate that the company's future is challenging. The below-par growth performance may be the reason for this. Companies that grow less are typically cheaper than fast-growing competitors. We recommend evaluating whether the future of Centrica is as difficult as the stock’s low price suggests, despite the positive professional investor sentiment. Since the professional community is optimistic, you might have less to worry about, and the stock may just go through a more challenging phase now, indicating good timing. ...read more
Sentiment Strategy: Professional Market Sentiment for Centrica very positive
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Sentiment Rank of 95 (better than 95% compared with alternatives) for 2024, overall professional sentiment and engagement for the stock Centrica is very positive. The Sentiment Rank is based on consolidating four sentiment indicators where all but one are above average for Centrica. Analyst Opinions are at a rank of 74 (better than 74% of alternative investments), which means that currently, stock research analysts tend to recommend a stock investment in the company. The Professional Investors rank is also good at 91, which means that currently, professional investors hold more stock in this company than in 91% of alternative investment opportunities. Pros tend to favor investing in this company. In addition, Market Pulse has a rank of 88 which means that the current professional news and professional social networks are on the positive side when discussing this company (more positive news than for 88% of competitors). But Analyst Opinions Change has a below-average rank of 44, which means that stock research experts are currently changing their opinions for the worse when it comes to recommending this stock. In other words, they are getting more critical of investments in Centrica. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Sentiment Rank of 95 (more positive than 95% compared with investment alternatives), Centrica has a reputation among professional investors that is significantly higher than that of its competitors. This is an early sign of caution, even if the stock has significantly appreciated. If analysts change their opinions, the stock may become too expensive. If the price is on the way down, the trend may continue. This may be a stock with a good reputation and history, but it may have reached its breaking point by now. Investors should look at the Value Ranks as well. If they indicate trouble, it might just materialize in the future. ...read more
Value Strategy: Centrica Stock Price Value at the top
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 89 (better than 89% compared with alternatives) for 2024, Centrica shares are significantly less expensive than comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators that are all above average for Centrica. Price-to-Sales is 91 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 91% of comparable companies, indicating a good value for Centrica's revenue size. The same is valid for expected Price-to-Profits, more favorable than for 89% of alternatives, and this is also true for the Price-to-Book capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Capital Rank of 57. Compared with other companies in the same industry, dividend yields of Centrica are expected to be higher than for 55% of all competitors (a Dividend Yield rank of 55). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 89, is a buy recommendation based on Centrica's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Since all value metrics are above the industry average, there is no objection to investing in Centrica based on its detailed value metrics.
Growth Strategy: Centrica Growth Momentum negative
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 1 (better than 1% compared with alternatives), Centrica shows one of the most restricted growth dynamics in its industry. There is little momentum in this company. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with all four metrics below average for Centrica. Sales Growth has a rank of 12, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow less than 88% of its competitors. The same is valid for Profit Growth, with a rank of 19, and Capital Growth with 46. In addition, Stock Returns have a below market rank of 11, which means that the stock returns have recently been below 89% of alternative investments. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 1, is a sell recommendation for growth and momentum investors. These are all bad growth momentum indicators. These are negative signals for investors interested in growth companies. Value is likely good for this company, as investors may have left this stock in the cold. If that is the case, investors should look at the company's outlook, especially Sentiment performance, because it may be a turnaround situation that could entail above-average stock returns in the future. But it remains a risky bet, as no growth signals are in the green zone yet. ...read more
Safety Strategy: Centrica Debt Financing Safety very solid
| SAFETY METRICS | October 10, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 65 |
|
||||||
| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 100 |
|
||||||
| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 84 |
|
||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 96 |
|
||||||
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 96 (better than 96% compared with alternatives) for 2024, the company Centrica has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of Centrica is safe, it only means that the company is on the safer side regarding possible bankruptcy, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators, where all three are above average for Centrica. Leverage is at 65, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 65% of its competitors. Refinancing is at a rank of 100, meaning that the portion of the debt about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 100% of its competitors. Finally, Liquidity is also good at a rank of 84, which means that the company generates more profit to service its debt than 84% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 96 (better than 96% compared with alternatives), Centrica has a financing structure that is significantly safer than that of its competitors. These three positive financing indicators signal that the company is less likely to default on its debt obligations. However, it also means that its shareholder returns will be more modest if things go well. A low safety means fewer troubles in downtimes and less upside in good times. ...read more
Combined financial peformance: Centrica Top Financial Performance
| COMBINED PERFORMANCE | October 10, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 89 |
|
||||||
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 1 |
|
||||||
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 84 |
|
||||||
| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 80 |
|
||||||
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 80 (better than 80% compared with investment alternatives), Centrica (Multi-Utilities, United Kingdom) shares have much better financial characteristics than comparable stocks. Shares of Centrica are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 89 (better than 89% of alternatives), are safely financed (Safety Rank of 96, which means low debt burdens), but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 1). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 80, is a strong buy recommendation based on Centrica's financial characteristics. As the company Centrica's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 89) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 1) while being safely financed (Obermatt Safety Rank of 96), it may be a safer investment because companies with low debt can better withstand times of crises. Yet the good value, better than 89% of comparable companies, may also indicate that the company's future is challenging. If you believe that low growth is temporary or just due to a specific current event, you may conclude that the good value of the stock provides an attractive investment opportunity and the downside is limited due to below-average financing risks. ...read more
Obermatt Portfolio Performance
We’re so convinced about our research, that we buy our stock tips.
See the performance of the Obermatt portfolio.