January 2, 2025
Top 10 Stock Mercury General 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: Mercury General – Top 10 Stock in Dividend Champions United States
Mercury General is listed as a top 10 stock on January 02, 2025 in the market index Dividends 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 32 (32% performer), Obermatt assesses an overall hold recommendation for Mercury General on January 02, 2025.
Snapshot: Obermatt Ranks
| Country | USA |
| Industry | Property & Casualty Insurance |
| Index | Dividends USA, D.J. US Insurance, 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 Mercury General Hold
| 360 METRICS | January 2, 2025 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 77 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 41 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 98 |
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| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 53 |
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| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | 32 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt 360° View of 32 (better than 32% compared with alternatives), overall professional sentiment and financial characteristics for the stock Mercury General are below the industry average. The 360° View is based on consolidating four consolidated indicators, with half of the indicators below and half above average for Mercury General. The consolidated Value Rank has an attractive rank of 77, which means that the share price of Mercury General 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 77% of alternative stocks in the same industry. The company is also safely financed with a Safety rank of 98. In addition, professional market sentiment is above average compared with other stock investment alternatives with a Sentiment Rank of 53. But the consolidated Growth Rank has a low rank of 41, 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. 59 of its competitors have better growth. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated 360° View of 32, Mercury General is worse than 68% 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 77), secure financing practices (Safety Rank of 98), and positive market sentiment in the professional investor community (Sentiment Rank of 53). 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 41), 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 Mercury General 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 Mercury General positive
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Sentiment Rank of 53 (better than 53% compared with alternatives), overall professional sentiment and engagement for the stock Mercury General is above average. The Sentiment Rank is based on consolidating four sentiment indicators, with half of the metrics below and half above average for Mercury General. Analyst Opinions are at a rank of 45 (worse than 55% of alternative investments), which means that currently, stock research analysts tend to warn against investing in the stock of the company. But they are changing their opinions! Analyst Opinions Change has a rank of 50, which means that stock research experts are more positive in their investment recommendations in the company. In other words, they are getting more optimistic of stock investments in Mercury General. More encouragingly, the Professional Investors rank is 82, which means that professional investors hold more stock in this company than in 82% of alternative investment opportunities. Pros tend to favor investing in this company. But Market Pulse is on the lower side with a rank of 19, which means that the current professional news and professional social networks are on the negative side when discussing this company (more negative news than for 81% of competitors). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Sentiment Rank of 53 (more positive than 53% compared with investment alternatives), Mercury General has a reputation among professional investors that is above-average compared with that of its competitors. The sentiment signals are mixed for Mercury General. While analysts and the news channels are negative, there is a change in what analysts think. Above-average institutional investors in this company support them. Sentiment signals remain mixed with analysts and news channels pessimistic, though improving, and professional investors above average. ...read more
Value Strategy: Mercury General Stock Price Value at the top
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 77 (better than 77% compared with alternatives) for 2022, Mercury General 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 Mercury General. Price-to-Sales (P/S) is 89, which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 89% of comparable companies, indicating a good value concerning Mercury General's revenue size. The same is valid for expected Price-to-Profits (or Price / Earnings, P/E), more favorable than for 76% of alternatives. It is also positive for expected dividend yields with a Dividend Yield rank of 54 (dividends are expected to be higher than 54% 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 56% of all competitors have an even higher price compared with book capital which puts the Price-to-Capital Rank for Mercury General to 44. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 77, is a buy recommendation based on Mercury General'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 in 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 three good value ranks for Sales, Profits, and Dividends are reliable indicators for the stock price value. ...read more
Growth Strategy: Mercury General Growth Momentum low
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 41 (better than 41% compared with alternatives), Mercury General 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 Mercury General. Sales Growth has a below market rank of 40, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow less than 60% of its competitors. The same is valid for Capital Growth, with a rank of 27, and Profit Growth, with a rank of 15. Currently, professionals expect the company to grow its profits less than 85% of its competitors). Only shareholders are optimistic. Stock Returns are above average at a rank of 97, which means that the stock returns have recently been above 97% of alternative investments. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 41, 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 Mercury General, 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: Mercury General Debt Financing Safety very solid
| SAFETY METRICS | January 2, 2025 | |||||||
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| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 52 |
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| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 8 |
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| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 80 |
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| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 98 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 98 (better than 98% compared with alternatives) for 2022, the company Mercury General has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of Mercury General 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 Mercury General. Leverage is at a rank of 52, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 52% of its competitors. Liquidity is also good at a rank of 80, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 80% 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 8, 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 92% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 98 (better than 98% compared with alternatives), Mercury General has a financing structure that is significantly safer 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 Mercury General. 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: Mercury General Above-Average Financial Performance
| COMBINED PERFORMANCE | January 2, 2025 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 77 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 41 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 80 |
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| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 50 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 50 (better than 50% compared with investment alternatives), Mercury General (Property & Casualty Insurance, USA) shares have above-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Mercury General are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 77 (better than 77% of alternatives), are safely financed (Safety Rank of 98, which means low debt burdens), but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 41). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 50, is a buy recommendation based on Mercury General's financial characteristics. As the company Mercury General's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 77) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 41) while being safely financed (Obermatt Safety Rank of 98), it may be a safer investment because companies with low debt can better withstand times of crises. Yet the good value, better than 77% 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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