August 15, 2024
Top 10 Stock Huron Consulting 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: Huron Consulting – Top 10 Stock in Employee Satisfaction Leaders in the United States
Huron Consulting is listed as a top 10 stock on August 15, 2024 in the market index Employee Focus US because of its high performance in at least one of the Obermatt investment strategies. Three consolidated Obermatt Ranks are above-average. Only the Value Rank is below average. The investment rationale may be an investment in future growth, supported by professional market opinion. Based on the Obermatt 360° View of 85 (top 85% performer), Obermatt assesses an overall strong buy recommendation for Huron Consulting on August 15, 2024.
Snapshot: Obermatt Ranks
| Country | USA |
| Industry | Research & Consulting |
| Index | Employee Focus US, Diversity USA, SDG 13, SDG 3, SDG 4, SDG 5, SDG 8, NASDAQ |
| 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 Huron Consulting Strong Buy
| 360 METRICS | August 15, 2024 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 44 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 65 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 50 |
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| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 98 |
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| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | 85 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt 360° View of 85 (better than 85% compared with alternatives) for 2024, overall professional sentiment and financial characteristics for the stock Huron Consulting are very positive. The 360° View is based on consolidating four consolidated indicators, with all but one indicator above average for Huron Consulting. The consolidated Growth Rank has a good rank of 65, 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 65% of competitors in the same industry. The consolidated Safety Rank at 50 means that the company has a financing structure that is safer than 50% comparable companies when looking at the amount of its debt, its refinancing requirements, and its ability to service debt. Finally, the consolidated Sentiment Rank 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 is less desirable at 44, meaning that the share price of Huron Consulting is on the higher side compared with 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. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated 360° View of 85, Huron Consulting is better positioned than 85% of all alternative stock investment opportunities based on the Obermatt Method. As three out of four consolidated Obermatt Ranks exhibit excellent performance, such as above-average growth (Growth Rank of 65), a safe financing structure (Safety Rank of 50), and positive professional market sentiment (Sentiment Rank of 98), it is a solid stock investment where growth may be the strongest driver of the investment rationale, also reflected by institutional investors. 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 more do you pay for the stock of Huron Consulting compared with alternatives? You can use the following rule of thumb: The growth rank measures the growth momentum of the company (65% better than peers). The value rank could be the reverse reflection of that (35%). A Value Rank below that level may be assessed as expensive, a rank above that is still good value. Sometimes market sentiment just reflects the past, sometimes the 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 Huron Consulting 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 Huron Consulting is very positive. The Sentiment Rank is based on consolidating four sentiment indicators, with all four indicators above average for Huron Consulting. Analyst Opinions are at a rank of 95 (better than 95% 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 92, 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 Huron Consulting. The Professional Investors rank is 75, which means that currently, professional investors hold more stock in this company than in 75% of alternative investment opportunities. Pros tend to favor investing in this company. Finally, Market Pulse has a rank of 76 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 76% of competitors). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Sentiment Rank of 98 (more positive than 98% compared with investment alternatives), Huron Consulting 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 Huron Consulting 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: Huron Consulting Stock Price Value below-average critical
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 44 (worse than 56% compared with alternatives), Huron Consulting shares are more expensive than the average comparable stock. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, where half the indicators are below and half are above average for Huron Consulting. Price-to-Sales (P/S) is 55, which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 55% of comparable companies, indicating a good value concerning Huron Consulting's revenue size. The same is valid for expected Price-to-Profits (or Price / Earnings, P/E), more favorable than for 70% of alternatives. It is also positive for expected dividend yields with a Dividend Yield rank of 1 (dividends are expected to be higher than for 1% of other stocks). But, compared with other companies in the same industry, the Price-to-Book Capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) is higher than average, making the stock more expensive. Only 57% of all competitors have an even higher price compared with book capital which puts the Price-to-Capital Rank for Huron Consulting to 43. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 44, is a hold recommendation based on Huron Consulting's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. A low level of book capital means that the company has a business that is leaner on assets than its competitors. For instance, the company could be leasing its production facilities, or be more focussed on intellectual property, such as its brand and software, which is less visible in its book capital. If that is the case, the low Dividend Yield is also explained as such companies tend to invest their income into market development. The other good value ranks for Sales and Profits are encouraging indicators for the stock price value. ...read more
Growth Strategy: Huron Consulting Growth Momentum good
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 65 (better than 65% compared with alternatives), Huron Consulting 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 half of the indicators below and half above average for Huron Consulting. Sales Growth has a rank of 77, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow more than 77% of its competitors. Profit Growth with a rank of 69 is also above average. But Capital Growth has only a rank of 40, and Stock Returns with 46 are also below-average. Stock returns for Huron Consulting have recently been below 54% of alternative investments. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 65, is a buy recommendation for growth and momentum investors. Are investors forecasting troubles based on the lack of operating investment activity at the company? This could be one explanation as to why stock returns are low. But stock returns can also be the result of correcting an error in the past, in this case, an overly optimistic outlook on the future, which is now more realistic. The Value Ranks may confirm such a picture. The more important growth indicators are revenues and profits, which are both above average for Huron Consulting. This is a positive sign from the company's operational side and may give investors courage, despite the poor recent stock price performance. ...read more
Safety Strategy: Huron Consulting Debt Financing Safety above-average
| SAFETY METRICS | August 15, 2024 | |||||||
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| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 43 |
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| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 67 |
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| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 29 |
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| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 50 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 50 (better than 50% compared with alternatives), the company Huron Consulting has financing practices on the safer side, which mean that their overall debt burden is lower than average. This doesn't mean that the business of Huron Consulting 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 just one indicator above average for Huron Consulting and the other two below average. Refinancing is at 67, meaning the portion of the debt about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 67% of its competitors. But Leverage is high with a rank of 43, meaning the company has an above-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has more debt than 57% of its competitors. Liquidity is also on the riskier side with a rank of 29, meaning the company generates less profit to service its debt than 71% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 50 (better than 50% compared with alternatives), Huron Consulting has a financing structure that is safer than that of its competitors. A good Refinancing Rank means that the problems of the company may not be around the corner. But high Leverage is only good if things go well, and low Liquidity is a signal for caution. The financing signals for Huron Consulting are on the riskier side, requiring the company's future to be on the safer side. Investors may want to look at Growth and Sentiment ranks before making an investment decision. ...read more
Combined financial peformance: Huron Consulting Above-Average Financial Performance
| COMBINED PERFORMANCE | August 15, 2024 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 44 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 65 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 29 |
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| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 59 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 59 (better than 59% compared with investment alternatives), Huron Consulting (Research & Consulting, USA) shares have above-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Huron Consulting are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 44 (worse than 56% of alternatives). But they show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 65) and are safely financed (Safety Rank of 50, which means below-average debt burdens). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 59, is a buy recommendation based on Huron Consulting's financial characteristics. Investors looking for growth and low financial risk may find this stock attractive. While the company Huron Consulting exhibits low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 44), which means that the stock price is rather high, it also demonstrates above-average growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 65). This is a typical case, as high-growth companies are often expensive. Good financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 50) are a double-edged sword: if the company continues growing, low debt limits shareholder returns. But if the company increases its debt, it will also increase risk. In other words, this is an investment on the safer side, despite the above-average price (low value). ...read more
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