April 11, 2024
Top 10 Stock Howden 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: Howden – Top 10 Stock in Water Technology
Howden is listed as a top 10 stock on April 11, 2024 in the market index Water Tech because of its high performance in at least one of the Obermatt investment strategies. Two consolidated Obermatt Ranks are above-average. The company is growing above average and professional investor sentiment is positive. Both are encouraging signals for a stock purchase decision, albeit at an above-average share price. Based on the Obermatt 360° View of 87 (top 87% performer), Obermatt assesses an overall strong buy recommendation for Howden on April 11, 2024.
Snapshot: Obermatt Ranks
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Industry | Trading & Distribution |
| Index | FTSE All Shares, FTSE 250, FTSE 350, SDG 12, SDG 13, SDG 15, SDG 8, Water Tech |
| Size class | 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 Howden Strong Buy
| 360 METRICS | April 11, 2024 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 44 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 54 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 49 |
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| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 98 |
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| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | 87 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt 360° View of 87 (better than 87% compared with alternatives) for 2024, overall professional sentiment and financial characteristics for the stock Howden are very positive. The 360° View is based on consolidating four consolidated indicators, with half of the metrics below and half above average for Howden. The consolidated Growth Rank has a good rank of 54, which means that the company experiences above-average growth momentum when looking at financial metrics such as revenue, profit, and invested capital growth as well as stock returns. This means that growth is higher than for 54% of competitors in the same industry. The consolidated Sentiment Rank also has a good rank of 98, which means that professional investors are more optimistic about the stock than for 98% of alternative investment opportunities. But the consolidated Value Rank has a less desirable rank of 44, which means that the share price of Howden is on the higher side compared with typical size in indicators such as revenues, profits, and invested capital. This means the stock price is higher than for 56% of alternative stocks in the same industry. Finally, the consolidated Safety Rank has a riskier rank of 49, which means that the company has a financing structure that is riskier than those of 51% 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 87, Howden is better positioned than 87% of all alternative stock investment opportunities based on the Obermatt Method. Only half of the consolidated Obermatt Ranks exhibit excellent performance, so one needs to take a close look. Growth is above-average (Growth Rank of 54), and professional market sentiment is positive (Sentiment Rank of 98), but value and safety are below average. The Safety Rank is the least significant of the four consolidated ranks, because it only reflects financing practices. In the case of high growth, aggressive financing is a good thing. So the question is: How to assess below-average value against above-average growth and sentiment? Growth may be the strongest driver of the investment rationale in this case, which is reflected in institutional investors' opinions. It is typical for growth companies to have low value, as is the case here. Investors are willing to pay more for companies that outperform their competitors. So the question is, how much do you sacrifice value for growth? You can use the following rule of thumb: If you take 100 minus the growth rank, you arrive at a possibly minimum level for the value rank. For example, if the growth rank is at 75, and the value rank is at 5, you should tread carefully. If the value rank is at 40, it still might be a good value if the growth rank is above 60. Sometimes market sentiment just extrapolates the past, but sometimes it reflects reality. You pay more than the market average for this stock, but it may be worth it. ...read more
Sentiment Strategy: Professional Market Sentiment for Howden very positive
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Sentiment Rank of 98 (better than 98% compared with alternatives) for 2024, overall professional sentiment and engagement for the stock Howden is very positive. The Sentiment Rank is based on consolidating four sentiment indicators, with all four indicators above average for Howden. Analyst Opinions are at a rank of 71 (better than 71% 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 56, 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 Howden. The Professional Investors rank is 100, which means that currently, professional investors hold more stock in this company than in 100% of alternative investment opportunities. Pros tend to favor investing in this company. Finally, Market Pulse has a rank of 73 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 73% of competitors). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Sentiment Rank of 98 (more positive than 98% compared with investment alternatives), Howden 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 Howden 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: Howden Stock Price Value below-average critical
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 44 (worse than 56% compared with alternatives), Howden shares are more expensive than the average comparable stock. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators below average for Howden. Only the metric dividend yield has an above-average rank, reflecting that dividend practices are expected to be higher than 62% 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 24 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than 76% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning Howden's sales levels. The same is valid for Price-to-Profit (also referred to as price-earnings, P/E) with a rank of 47 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profit levels is higher than 53% of comparable companies. In addition, Price-to-Book (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Book Rank of 28 is also low. Compared with invested capital, the stock price is higher than for 72% of comparable investments. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 44, is a hold recommendation based on Howden's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Should dividend investors pick Howden? 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 Howden only if they reasonably expect the low current profit levels to be transitory. ...read more
Growth Strategy: Howden Growth Momentum good
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 54 (better than 54% compared with alternatives), Howden shows an above-average growth dynamic in its industry. Investors also speak of positive momentum. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with all but one indicator above average for Howden. Sales Growth has a rank of 62 which means that currently, professionals expect the company to grow more than 62% of its competitors. Both Profit Growth, with a rank of 51, and Stock Returns, with a rank of 70, are also above average. But Capital Growth only has a rank of 31, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow its invested capital less than 69% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 54, is a buy recommendation for growth and momentum investors. That may be a good sign if the company is already well positioned and doesn't require more investments at this time. They may focus on growing the top (revenues) and bottom (profits) lines, recently rewarded with above-average stock returns for shareholders. But it may also be a sign of danger as the company is falling back with capital investment activities concerning competition. This requires further analysis of corporate communications. ...read more
Safety Strategy: Howden Debt Financing Safety below-average
| SAFETY METRICS | April 11, 2024 | |||||||
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| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 36 |
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| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 40 |
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| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 74 |
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| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 49 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 49 (better than 49% compared with alternatives), the company Howden 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 Howden 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 just one indicator above average for Howden. Liquidity is at 74, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 74% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is safer when it comes to debt service. But Refinancing is riskier at a rank of 40, 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 60% of its competitors. Leverage is also high at a rank of 36, which means that the company has an above-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has more debt than 64% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 49 (worse than 51% compared with alternatives), Howden has a financing structure that is riskier than that of its competitors. High Leverage (a low Obermatt Leverage Rank) is good in good times, because it usually indicates that shareholders get higher returns. The good Liquidity performance of the company is an indicator that this is the case. However, if you expect an economic downturn, you may stay clear of this stock because they have an above-average debt level that needs refinancing soon. ...read more
Combined financial peformance: Howden Above-Average Financial Performance
| COMBINED PERFORMANCE | April 11, 2024 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 44 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 54 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 74 |
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| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 54 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 54 (better than 54% compared with investment alternatives), Howden (Trading & Distribution, United Kingdom) shares have above-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Howden are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 44 (worse than 56% of alternatives), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 49, which means above-average debt burdens) but show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 54). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 54, is a buy recommendation based on Howden's financial characteristics. As the company Howden shows low value with an Obermatt Value Rank of 44 (56% of comparable investments are less expensive), investors should look at the other ranks. In this case, growth is expected to be above-average, better than 54% of comparable companies (Obermatt Growth Rank is 54). This is a typical case. Companies with above average growth tend to cost more than stocks with slower growth expectations. If this is a high-growth company, the low Obermatt Safety Rank of 49 is a good sign. The more debt a well-performing company has, the higher the returns to shareholders. However, if growth turns negative or interest rates increase, high debt may become a burden. If you believe the future is bright for Howden, even a low-value company (in terms of its key financial indicators) can be a good investment. ...read more
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