December 26, 2024
Top 10 Stock Pathward Financial 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: Pathward Financial – Top 10 Stock in SDG 10: Reduced Inequality
Pathward Financial is listed as a top 10 stock on December 26, 2024 in the market index SDG 10 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 78 (top 78% performer), Obermatt assesses an overall strong buy recommendation for Pathward Financial on December 26, 2024.
Snapshot: Obermatt Ranks
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 Pathward Financial Strong Buy
| 360 METRICS | December 26, 2024 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 37 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 93 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 68 |
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| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 57 |
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| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | 78 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt 360° View of 78 (better than 78% compared with alternatives) for 2024, overall professional sentiment and financial characteristics for the stock Pathward Financial are very positive. The 360° View is based on consolidating four consolidated indicators, with all but one indicator above average for Pathward Financial. The consolidated Growth Rank has a good rank of 93, 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 93% of competitors in the same industry. The consolidated Safety Rank at 68 means that the company has a financing structure that is safer than 68% 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 57, which means that professional investors are more optimistic about the stock than for 57% of alternative investment opportunities. But the consolidated Value Rank is less desirable at 37, meaning that the share price of Pathward Financial is on the higher side compared with indicators such as revenues, profits, and invested capital. This means the stock price is higher than for 63% of alternative stocks in the same industry. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated 360° View of 78, Pathward Financial is better positioned than 78% 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 93), a safe financing structure (Safety Rank of 68), and positive professional market sentiment (Sentiment Rank of 57), 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 Pathward Financial compared with alternatives? You can use the following rule of thumb: The growth rank measures the growth momentum of the company (93% better than peers). The value rank could be the reverse reflection of that (7%). 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 Pathward Financial positive
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Sentiment Rank of 57 (better than 57% compared with alternatives), overall professional sentiment and engagement for the stock Pathward Financial is above average. The Sentiment Rank is based on consolidating four sentiment indicators, with half of the metrics below and half above average for Pathward Financial. Analyst Opinions are at a rank of 24 (worse than 76% 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 Pathward Financial. More encouragingly, the Professional Investors rank is 90, which means that professional investors hold more stock in this company than in 90% of alternative investment opportunities. Pros tend to favor investing in this company. But Market Pulse is on the lower side with a rank of 48, 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 52% of competitors). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Sentiment Rank of 57 (more positive than 57% compared with investment alternatives), Pathward Financial has a reputation among professional investors that is above-average compared with that of its competitors. The sentiment signals are mixed for Pathward Financial. 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: Pathward Financial Stock Price Value below-average critical
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 37 (worse than 63% compared with alternatives), Pathward Financial 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 Pathward Financial. Price-to-Sales (P/S) is 91, which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 91% of comparable companies, indicating a good value concerning Pathward Financial's revenue size. The same is valid for expected Price-to-Profits (or Price / Earnings, P/E), more favorable than for 79% of alternatives. It is also positive for expected dividend yields with a Dividend Yield rank of 3 (dividends are expected to be higher than for 3% 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 95% of all competitors have an even higher price compared with book capital which puts the Price-to-Capital Rank for Pathward Financial to 5. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 37, is a hold recommendation based on Pathward Financial'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: Pathward Financial Growth Momentum high
| GROWTH METRICS | December 26, 2024 | |||||||
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| REVENUE GROWTH | ||||||||
| REVENUE GROWTH | 45 |
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| PROFIT GROWTH | ||||||||
| PROFIT GROWTH | 63 |
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| CAPITAL GROWTH | ||||||||
| CAPITAL GROWTH | 99 |
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| STOCK RETURNS | ||||||||
| STOCK RETURNS | 85 |
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| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | 93 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 93 (better than 93% compared with alternatives) for 2024, Pathward Financial shows one of the highest growth dynamics in its industry. Investors also speak of high momentum. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with all but one indicator above average for Pathward Financial. Profit Growth has a rank of 63 which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its profits more than 63% of its competitors. The same is valid for capital growth and stock returns. Capital Growth has a rank of 99, and Stock Returns has a rank of 85 which means that the stock returns have recently been above 85% of alternative investments. Only revenue growth is low with a Sales Growth has a rank of 45 (55% of its competitors are better). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 93, is a buy recommendation for growth and momentum investors. The many positive growth indicators indicate a positive growth momentum with only low revenue growth. That can also be attributed to divestments or the sale of unprofitable businesses. If that is the reason, overall growth is well on track to making this stock attractive for growth investors. ...read more
Safety Strategy: Pathward Financial Debt Financing Safety above-average
| SAFETY METRICS | December 26, 2024 | |||||||
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| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 18 |
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| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 53 |
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| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 100 |
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| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 68 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 68 (better than 68% compared with alternatives), the company Pathward Financial 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 Pathward Financial 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 Pathward Financial. Refinancing is at 53, meaning the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 53% of its competitors. Liquidity is also good at 100, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 100% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is safer when it comes to debt service. However, Leverage is rather large at 18, which means the company has an above-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has more debt than 82% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 68 (better than 68% compared with alternatives), Pathward Financial has a financing structure that is 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 Pathward Financial 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: Pathward Financial Top Financial Performance
| COMBINED PERFORMANCE | December 26, 2024 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 37 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 93 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 100 |
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| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 86 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 86 (better than 86% compared with investment alternatives), Pathward Financial (Regional Banks, USA) shares have much better financial characteristics than comparable stocks. Shares of Pathward Financial are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 37 (worse than 63% of alternatives). But they show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 93) and are safely financed (Safety Rank of 68, which means below-average debt burdens). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 86, is a strong buy recommendation based on Pathward Financial's financial characteristics. Investors looking for growth and low financial risk may find this stock attractive. While the company Pathward Financial exhibits low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 37), which means that the stock price is rather high, it also demonstrates above-average growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 93). This is a typical case, as high-growth companies are often expensive. Good financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 68) 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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