April 11, 2024
Top 10 Stock H&R Block 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: H&R Block – Top 10 Stock in Diversity Leaders in United States
H&R Block is listed as a top 10 stock on April 11, 2024 in the market index Diversity USA 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 98 (top 98% performer), Obermatt assesses an overall strong buy recommendation for H&R Block on April 11, 2024.
Snapshot: Obermatt Ranks
| Country | USA |
| Industry | Specialized Consumer Services |
| Index | Dividends USA, Diversity USA, 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 H&R Block Strong Buy
| 360 METRICS | April 11, 2024 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 96 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 43 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 77 |
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| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 77 |
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| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | 98 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt 360° View of 98 (better than 98% compared with alternatives) for 2024, overall professional sentiment and financial characteristics for the stock H&R Block are very positive. The 360° View is based on consolidating four consolidated indicators, with half of the indicators below and half above average for H&R Block. The consolidated Value Rank has an attractive rank of 96, which means that the share price of H&R Block 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 96% of alternative stocks in the same industry. The company is also safely financed with a Safety rank of 77. In addition, professional market sentiment is above average compared with other stock investment alternatives with a Sentiment Rank of 77. But the consolidated Growth Rank has a low rank of 43, 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. 57 of its competitors have better growth. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated 360° View of 98, H&R Block is better positioned than 98% 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 96), secure financing practices (Safety Rank of 77), and positive market sentiment in the professional investor community (Sentiment Rank of 77). 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 43), 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 H&R Block 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 H&R Block very positive
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Sentiment Rank of 77 (better than 77% compared with alternatives) for 2024, overall professional sentiment and engagement for the stock H&R Block is very positive. The Sentiment Rank is based on consolidating four sentiment indicators, with all four indicators above average for H&R Block. Analyst Opinions are at a rank of 51 (better than 51% 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 H&R Block. The Professional Investors rank is 98, which means that currently, professional investors hold more stock in this company than in 98% of alternative investment opportunities. Pros tend to favor investing in this company. Finally, Market Pulse has a rank of 52 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 52% of competitors). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Sentiment Rank of 77 (more positive than 77% compared with investment alternatives), H&R Block 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 H&R Block 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: H&R Block Stock Price Value at the top
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 96 (better than 96% compared with alternatives) for 2024, H&R Block 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 H&R Block. Price-to-Profit (also referred to as price to earnings, P/E ratio) is 94 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is lower than for 94% of comparable companies, indicating a good value concerning H&R Block's profit levels. The same is valid for the expected Price-to-Book Capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Capital Rank of 91, and for Dividend Yield with a Dividend Yield Rank of 88. But, compared with other companies in the same industry, the stock price is higher than average as regards expected revenues; only 71% of all competitors have an even higher stock price as regards to sales revenues (a Price-to-Sales Rank of 29). Profits, the level of invested capital, and dividend policy suggest that this stock is attractively priced. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 96, is a buy recommendation based on H&R Block's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Since it is on the expensive side for Price-to-Sales, it may mean that H&R Block has pricing power in its distribution market because it can charge higher prices than its competitors. If this is the case, all four value indicators are positive signals for purchasing H&R Block shares. ...read more
Growth Strategy: H&R Block Growth Momentum low
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 43 (better than 43% compared with alternatives), H&R Block 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 H&R Block. Sales Growth has a below market rank of 8, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow less than 92% of its competitors. The same is valid for Capital Growth, with a rank of 49, and Profit Growth, with a rank of 42. Currently, professionals expect the company to grow its profits less than 58% of its competitors). Only shareholders are optimistic. Stock Returns are above average at a rank of 74, which means that the stock returns have recently been above 74% of alternative investments. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 43, is a hold recommendation for growth and momentum investors. That picture may be the result for a company that has reached the bottom. All went south for H&R Block, and it still looks bad, but some investors already see light at the end of the tunnel, rewarding the stock with recent above-market stock returns. It could also mean that investors are correcting an overreaction to negative news. If that were the case, the positive stock returns are not yet a sign of recovery. Investors should look closely at the Value and Sentiment indicators before they make a stock purchasing decision, because growth is unlikely to be the driving argument behind this investment. ...read more
Safety Strategy: H&R Block Debt Financing Safety very solid
| SAFETY METRICS | April 11, 2024 | |||||||
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| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 24 |
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| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 67 |
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| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 94 |
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| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 77 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 77 (better than 77% compared with alternatives) for 2024, the company H&R Block has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of H&R Block 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, with two out of three indicators above-average for H&R Block. Refinancing is at 67, meaning the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 67% of its competitors. Liquidity is also good at 94, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 94% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is safer when it comes to debt service. However, Leverage is rather large at 24, which means the company has an above-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has more debt than 76% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 77 (better than 77% compared with alternatives), H&R Block has a financing structure that is significantly safer than that of its competitors. This is not bad if things go well. The higher debt level means better returns to shareholders if things go well. Many top-performing companies operate with higher debt levels, and H&R Block could be in that group. But if you expect the environment to turn rougher, the higher leverage could become a problem. The same is valid if you expect interest rates to rise. That could squeeze shareholder returns, which so far have benefitted from better conditions. ...read more
Combined financial peformance: H&R Block Top Financial Performance
| COMBINED PERFORMANCE | April 11, 2024 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 96 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 43 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 94 |
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| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 98 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 98 (better than 98% compared with investment alternatives), H&R Block (Specialized Consumer Services, USA) shares have much better financial characteristics than comparable stocks. Shares of H&R Block are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 96 (better than 96% of alternatives), are safely financed (Safety Rank of 77, which means low debt burdens), but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 43). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 98, is a strong buy recommendation based on H&R Block's financial characteristics. As the company H&R Block's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 96) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 43) while being safely financed (Obermatt Safety Rank of 77), it may be a safer investment because companies with low debt can better withstand times of crises. Yet the good value, better than 96% 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
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