June 29, 2023
Top 10 Stock Crane Hold 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: Crane – Top 10 Stock in S&P Mid-Cap Index
Crane is listed as a top 10 stock on June 29, 2023 in the market index S&P MIDCAP because of its high performance in at least one of the Obermatt investment strategies. Only one consolidated Obermatt Rank is above-average. The company enjoys a positive professional investor sentiment, but all financial facts speak against a stock purchase. This is probably an investment into the future. Based on the Obermatt 360° View of 37 (37% performer), Obermatt assesses an overall hold recommendation for Crane on June 29, 2023.
Snapshot: Obermatt Ranks
| Country | USA |
| Industry | Industrial Machinery |
| Index | Dividends USA, Water Tech, S&P MIDCAP |
| Size class | X-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 Crane Hold
| 360 METRICS | June 29, 2023 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 21 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 25 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 25 |
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| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 97 |
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| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | 37 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt 360° View of 37 (better than 37% compared with alternatives), overall professional sentiment and financial characteristics for the stock Crane are below the industry average. The 360° View is based on consolidating four consolidated indicators, with three out of four indicators below average for Crane. The consolidated Sentiment Rank has a good rank of 97, which means that professional investors are more optimistic about the stock than for 97% of alternative investment opportunities. But all other ranks are below average. The consolidated Value Rank has a rank of 21, which means that the share price of Crane is on the higher side compared with typical size in indicators such as revenues, profits, and invested capital. The consolidated Growth Rank also has a low rank of 25, meaning that the company exhibits below-average growth momentum when looking at financial metrics such as revenue, profit, invested capital growth, and stock returns. This means that growth is lower than for 25% of competitors in the same industry. Finally, the consolidated Safety Rank has a riskier rank of 25 which means that the company has a riskier financing structure than 75% comparable companies when looking at the amount of its debt, its refinancing requirements, and its ability to service debt. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated 360° View of 37, Crane is worse than 63% of all alternative stock investment opportunities based on the Obermatt Method. As only the professional market sentiment (Sentiment Rank of 97) is above-average, and all other consolidated Obermatt Ranks are below peers, the stock investing proposition case is rather weak. The stock price is expensive for a company of this size in this industry, visible in the below-average Value Rank. Growth is below the competition based on the Growth Rank, and the company has more debt than other companies, according to the Safety Rank. So the question becomes: How important is the Sentiment Rank when all others are below average? When it comes to growth, the low rating might be justified if growth is expected in the future and not yet reflected in current performance. This is often the case for companies with intellectual property, such as technology and pharmaceutical companies. In the early phases, these companies are expensive compared with their size and may have a lot of debt on their books, as is the case here, as seen in the low Value and Safety Ranks. Future growth may be the strongest investment rationale in this case, which is only reflected by institutional investors' opinions. You pay more than the market average for this stock and invest in a rather debt-loaded enterprise, but it may be worth it if the future of Cranẹ is bright. A small investment might be justified, but proceed with caution. ...read more
Sentiment Strategy: Professional Market Sentiment for Crane very positive
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Sentiment Rank of 97 (better than 97% compared with alternatives) for 2023, overall professional sentiment and engagement for the stock Crane is very positive. The Sentiment Rank is based on consolidating four sentiment indicators, with all four indicators above average for Crane. Analyst Opinions are at a rank of 77 (better than 77% of alternative investments), which means that, currently, stock research analysts tend to recommend a stock investment in the company. Analyst Opinions Change is also positive with a rank of 50, which means that stock research experts are changing their opinions for the better and recommending investing in the company. They are getting more optimistic about stock investments in Crane. The Professional Investors rank is 89, which means that currently, professional investors hold more stock in this company than in 89% of alternative investment opportunities. Pros tend to favor investing in this company. Finally, Market Pulse has a rank of 92 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 92% of competitors). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Sentiment Rank of 97 (more positive than 97% compared with investment alternatives), Crane has a reputation among professional investors that is significantly higher than that of its competitors. Since all market sentiment indicators are positive, the professional community highly recommends investment in the company. Does this mean Crane stocks are a safe investment? Far from it. Even professionals make mistakes. Especially in stock investing, there is a tendency to follow the leaders. Since trees don't grow to the heavens, such positive sentiment may also be interpreted as a danger sign. A lot of optimism can often be a sign of troubles to come, albeit unforeseen by most. ...read more
Value Strategy: Crane Stock Price Value low
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 21 (worse than 79% compared with alternatives), Crane shares are significantly more expensive than comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators below average for Crane. Only the metric dividend yield has an above-average rank, reflecting that dividend practices are expected to be higher than 53% of comparable companies, making the stock an attractive buy for dividend investors. However, dividend investors may get disappointed because all other critical financial indicators are below the market median: Price-to-Sales is 27 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than 73% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning Crane's sales levels. The same is valid for Price-to-Profit (also referred to as price-earnings, P/E) with a rank of 44 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profit levels is higher than 56% of comparable companies. In addition, Price-to-Book (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Book Rank of 19 is also low. Compared with invested capital, the stock price is higher than for 81% of comparable investments. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 21, is a sell recommendation based on Crane's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Should dividend investors pick Crane? The company-reported financials speak against it. The company is expensive compared with revenue and invested capital levels, two reliable company size indicators. In addition, it currently has a low level of profits. How can future dividends be paid in the case that profits remain low? Dividend investors should choose Crane only if they reasonably expect the low current profit levels to be transitory. ...read more
Growth Strategy: Crane Growth Momentum low
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 25 (better than 25% compared with alternatives), Crane shows a below-average growth dynamic in its industry. There is limited momentum in this company. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators below-average for Crane. While Sales Growth ranks at 63, professionals currently expect the company to grow more than 63% of its competitors, while all other growth ranks are below the market median. Profit Growth has a rank of 31, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow its profits less than 69% of its competitors, and Capital Growth has a low rank of 35. Historic stock returns were also below average with a current Stock Returns rank of 39 which means that the stock returns have recently been below 61% of alternative investments. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 25, is a hold recommendation for growth and momentum investors. If revenues are expected to increase, but all other growth indicators are negative, the company may be investing in future growth through means not visible in the balance sheet and thus not reflected in capital growth. The fact that Stock Returns have been below market doesn't mean that much, as it may be due to overly optimistic investor behavior in the past, which has been corrected to a more reasonable level recently. If that were the case, a positive Value Rank would be a reason to invest because the company is still expected to grow, while stock prices are now at a more reasonable level. ...read more
Safety Strategy: Crane Debt Financing Safety below-average
| SAFETY METRICS | June 29, 2023 | |||||||
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| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 68 |
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| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 7 |
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| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 82 |
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| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 25 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 25 (better than 25% compared with alternatives), the company Crane has financing practices on the riskier side, which means that their overall debt burden is above the industry average. This doesn't mean that the business of Crane is also risky, it only means that the company is on the riskier side in respect to bankruptcy in case things turn sour, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators, with two out of three indicators above average for Crane. Leverage is at a rank of 68, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 68% of its competitors. Liquidity is also good at a rank of 82, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 82% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is on the safer side when it comes to debt service. But Refinancing is lower at a rank of 7, which means that the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is above-average. It has more debt in the refinancing stage than 93% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 25 (worse than 75% compared with alternatives), Crane has a financing structure that is riskier than that of its competitors. The refinancing issues could be a short-term problem, especially if the company has reputation issues. Banks and investors don't like to refinance debt if there are clouds on the horizon. For this reason, investors should look at the refinancing environment for Crane. Does it look safe that debt that is coming due can be covered with new debt? If that is the case, then the financing situation of the company is on the safer side. If not, it may be better to wait until refinancing has been completed and the Refinancing rank is good again. ...read more
Combined financial peformance: Crane Above-Average Financial Performance
| COMBINED PERFORMANCE | June 29, 2023 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 21 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 25 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 82 |
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| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 67 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 67 (better than 67% compared with investment alternatives), Crane (Industrial Machinery, USA) shares have above-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Crane are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 21 (worse than 79% of alternatives), show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 25), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 25), which means above-average debt burdens. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 67, is a buy recommendation based on Crane's financial characteristics. As the company Crane's key financial metrics all exhibit below-average performance, such as low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 21), low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 25), and risky financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 25), it is a somewhat questionable stock investment, where the risk of paying too much for the shares is significant, unless the company has an exceptionally bright future. Such poor financial performance sometimes indicates that the company's business is all concentrated in some distant future. This is sometimes the case for high-tech or biotechnology companies. If they own properties that only provide cash flows in the future, the stock may look excessively expensive and risky today. In such cases, the Obermatt Method has limited value as it is based on facts we can observe today. If the facts are all in the future, stock investing becomes guesswork, and this should only be a driver in a limited number of investments that should only amount to a small fraction of a safe portfolio. ...read more
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