Fact based stock research
Harte Hanks (NYSE:HHS)

US4161962026

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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).

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Harte Hanks stock research in summary

hartehanks.com

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 81 (better than 81% compared with investment alternatives), Harte Hanks (Advertising, USA) shares have much better financial characteristics than comparable stocks. Shares of Harte Hanks are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 83 (better than 83% of alternatives), are safely financed (Safety Rank of 100, which means low debt burdens), but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 11). ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 81, is a strong buy recommendation based on Harte Hanks's financial characteristics. As the company Harte Hanks's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 83) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 11) while being safely financed (Obermatt Safety Rank of 100), it may be a safer investment because companies with low debt can better withstand times of crises. Yet the good value, better than 83% 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. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more

Latest Obermatt Ranks


360° View^new
Sentiment Rank^new
Value Rank	83
Growth Rank	11
Safety Rank	100
Combined Rank	81

Country	USA
Industry	Advertising
Index	NASDAQ
Size class	Small

19-Dec-2024. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.

Further information

Multiple opinions. One number.

Analysts rarely agree on a stock’s future. So, who do you believe? Obermatt translates those collective views into a single Sentiment Rank. That plus the financial ranks give you the ultimate 360° View. Sign up to access them.

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Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.

Research History: Harte Hanks

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	57	93	75	83
GROWTH
GROWTH	1	17	33	11
SAFETY
SAFETY	56	88	100	100
SENTIMENT
SENTIMENT	n/a	35	53	^new
360° VIEW
360° VIEW	n/a	63	86	^new

Most recent update of the stock research: 19-Dec-2024. Financial reporting date used for calculating ranks: 30-Sep-2024. Stock research history is based on the Obermatt Method. The higher the rank, the better Harte Hanks is in the corresponding investment strategy.
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Combined financial peformance in Detail

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	57	93	75	83
GROWTH
GROWTH	1	17	33	11
SAFETY
SAFETY	56	88	100	100
COMBINED
COMBINED	6	83	89	81

Last update of combined financial performance: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on combined financial performance: The higher the rank of Harte Hanks the better the performance.

Value Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 83 (better than 83% compared with alternatives) for 2024, Harte Hanks shares are significantly less expensive than comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators above average for Harte Hanks. Price-to-Sales (P/S) is 95, which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 95% of comparable companies, indicating a good value regarding Harte Hanks's revenue size. The same is valid for expected Price to Profits (or Price / Earnings, P/E), more favorable than for 91% of alternatives, and it's also true for the Price-to-Book Capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Capital Rank of 79. But, compared with other companies in the same industry, dividend yields are expected to be lower than average; only 1% of all competitors have even lower dividend yields than Harte Hanks (a Dividend Yield Rank of 1). 99% alternative investments in the same business provide a higher dividend yield. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 83, is a buy recommendation based on Harte Hanks's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. The below-average dividend yield may be a good sign, as it could mean the company has more attractive investment opportunities for the generated cash than to pay it out as dividends. A low dividend yield can also indicate a growth phase. We recommend further analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks, including the 360° View, before making an investment decision. ...read more

VALUE METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)	98	100	93	95
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)	13	95	85	91
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)	96	97	74	79
DIVIDEND YIELD
DIVIDEND YIELD	1	1	1	1
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE	57	93	75	83

Last update of Value Rank: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on value ratios: The higher the rank, the lower the value ratio of Harte Hanks; except for dividend yield where the rank is higher, the higher the yield.

Growth Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 11 (better than 11% compared with alternatives), Harte Hanks 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 three out of four indicators below average for Harte Hanks. Only Capital Growth has a good rank of 58, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its invested capital more than 14% of its competitors. The other three indicators are pointing South: Sales Growth has a rank of 11 which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow less than 89% of its competitors. Profit Growth with a rank of 14 and Stock Returns with a rank of 23 are also low (below 77% of alternative investments). ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 11, is a sell recommendation for growth and momentum investors. The good news from the invested capital side is surprising. A company with disappointing revenues, profits, and disappointed shareholders typically doesn't invest above average. Overall, the growth momentum for Harte Hanks is thus negative. As it is intriguing to see that company executives are optimistic about their investment policy, it is worthwhile looking into the details of the capital investment projects. They may indicate future growth and profits and thus if accompanied by a good value, a sign of good timing to invest in the stock. While momentum is a popular investment factor, the value aspect might be the more important one, in the longer term. We recommend analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks to arrive at a 360° View of the stock purchase case, especially since the growth performance is limited here. ...read more

GROWTH METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
REVENUE GROWTH
REVENUE GROWTH	1	1	17	11
PROFIT GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH	2	10	4	14
CAPITAL GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH	n/a	37	97	58
STOCK RETURNS
STOCK RETURNS	1	100	17	23
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH	1	17	33	11

Last update of Growth Rank: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on growth metrics: The higher the rank, the higher the growth and returns of Harte Hanks.

Safety Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 100 (better than 100% compared with alternatives) for 2024, the company Harte Hanks has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of Harte Hanks 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 Harte Hanks. Leverage is at 71, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 71% of its competitors. Refinancing is at a rank of 96, meaning that the portion of the debt about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 96% of its competitors. Finally, Liquidity is also good at a rank of 100, which means that the company generates more profit to service its debt than 100% of its competitors. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 100 (better than 100% compared with alternatives), Harte Hanks 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. Investors may not have a debt issue with Harte Hanks but they should also compare Obermatt’s Value, Growth, and Sentiment Ranks before making a decision. ...read more

SAFETY METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
LEVERAGE
LEVERAGE	2	70	68	71
REFINANCING
REFINANCING	100	99	93	96
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY	59	27	89	100
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY	56	88	100	100

Last update of Safety Rank: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on safety metrics: The higher the rank, the lower the leverage of Harte Hanks and the more cash is available to service its debt.

Sentiment Metrics in Detail

SENTIMENT	2021	2022	2023	2024
ANALYST OPINIONS
ANALYST OPINIONS	n/a	54	78	^new
OPINIONS CHANGE
OPINIONS CHANGE	n/a	50	50	^new
PRO HOLDINGS
PRO HOLDINGS	n/a	79	77	^new
MARKET PULSE
MARKET PULSE	n/a	8	5	^new
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT	n/a	35	53	^new

Last update of Sentiment Rank: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on sentiment metrics: The higher the rank, the more positive the sentiment for Harte Hanks.
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