September 19, 2024
Top 10 Stock Service International 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: Service International – Top 10 Stock in S&P Mid-Cap Index


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Service International is listed as a top 10 stock on September 19, 2024 in the market index S&P MIDCAP because of its high performance in at least one of the Obermatt investment strategies. Two consolidated Obermatt Ranks are above-average. The company is safely financed and the 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 67 (high 67% performer), Obermatt assesses an overall buy recommendation for Service International on September 19, 2024.


Snapshot: Obermatt Ranks


Country USA
Industry Specialized Consumer Services
Index Dividends USA, S&P MIDCAP
Size class X-Large
Latest Research


Top 10 Stocks ≠ most popular stocks

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 Service International Buy

360 METRICS September 19, 2024
VALUE
VALUE
GROWTH
GROWTH
SAFETY
SAFETY
SENTIMENT
SENTIMENT
360° VIEW
360° VIEW

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt 360° View of 67 (better than 67% compared with alternatives), overall professional sentiment and financial characteristics for the stock Service International are above average. The 360° View is based on consolidating four consolidated indicators, with half below and half above average for Service International. 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. It also rates well regarding its financing structure, with the consolidated Safety Rank at 61 or better than 61% of its peers when looking at the amount of its debt, its refinancing requirements, and its ability to service debt. But the stock is expensive and expects low growth. The consolidated Value Rank is only 37, meaning that the share price of Service International is on the high side, compared with indicators such as revenues, profits, and invested capital. The company exhibits below-average growth momentum when looking at financial metrics such as revenue, profit, invested capital growth,and stock returns, with its Growth Rank at 45. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated 360° View of 67, Service International is better positioned than 67% of all alternative stock investment opportunities based on the Obermatt Method. As only half of the consolidated Obermatt Ranks exhibit excellent performance, namely the positive professional market sentiment (Sentiment Rank of 98) and safe financing practices (Safety Rank of 61), the case for investing in this stock needs further thought. The Value and the Safety Ranks are below average. The Safety Rank is the least critical of the four consolidated ranks, because it only reflects financing practices. So the question is: How to assess below-average value against above-average sentiment? This may be a case where growth is in the future, not yet reflected in current performance. Companies that might fall into this category are those with intellectual property, such as technology and pharmaceutical companies. In early phases, they are expensive relative to their size and have a lot of capital on their books, as is the case here. Investors expect a better future and are willing to pay a higher price than is warranted by the current company size. These higher prices drive stock price value down in the short term. In this case, future growth may be the strongest driver of the investment case, reflected by institutional investors' opinions. With a weak Value Rank, the question is how much to sacrifice value at the cost of positive sentiment. Sometimes market sentiment is just hype, but sometimes it is right. You pay more than market-average for this stock, but it may be worth it, if the future of Service Internationaḷ is bright. Prudent investors may only want to invest a smaller portion of their wealth in such situations. Young investors can carry more risk but should still thrive for sufficient diversification. ...read more




Sentiment Strategy: Professional Market Sentiment for Service International very positive

SENTIMENT METRICS September 19, 2024
ANALYST OPINION
ANALYST OPINION
OPINIONS CHANGE
OPINIONS CHANGE
PRO HOLDINGS
PRO HOLDINGS
MARKET PULSE
MARKET PULSE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Sentiment Rank of 98 (better than 98% compared with alternatives) for 2024, overall professional sentiment and engagement for the stock Service International is very positive. The Sentiment Rank is based on consolidating four sentiment indicators, with all four indicators above average for Service International. 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 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 Service International. The Professional Investors rank is 92, which means that currently, professional investors hold more stock in this company than in 92% of alternative investment opportunities. Pros tend to favor investing in this company. Finally, Market Pulse has a rank of 63 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 63% of competitors). ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Sentiment Rank of 98 (more positive than 98% compared with investment alternatives), Service International 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 Service International 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: Service International Stock Price Value below-average critical

VALUE METRICS September 19, 2024
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
DIVIDEND YIELD
DIVIDEND YIELD
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 37 (worse than 63% compared with alternatives), Service International 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 Service International. Only the metric dividend yield has an above-average rank, reflecting that dividend practices are expected to be higher than 78% 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 21 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than 79% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning Service International's sales levels. The same is valid for Price-to-Profit (also referred to as price-earnings, P/E) with a rank of 38 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profit levels is higher than 62% of comparable companies. In addition, Price-to-Book (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Book Rank of 20 is also low. Compared with invested capital, the stock price is higher than for 80% of comparable investments. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 37, is a hold recommendation based on Service International's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Should dividend investors pick Service International? 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 Service International only if they reasonably expect the low current profit levels to be transitory. ...read more



Growth Strategy: Service International Growth Momentum low

GROWTH METRICS September 19, 2024
REVENUE GROWTH
REVENUE GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH
STOCK RETURNS
STOCK RETURNS
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 45 (better than 45% compared with alternatives), Service International 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 Service International. Sales Growth has a below market rank of 25, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow less than 75% of its competitors. The same is valid for Capital Growth, with a rank of 40, and Profit Growth, with a rank of 47. Currently, professionals expect the company to grow its profits less than 53% of its competitors). Only shareholders are optimistic. Stock Returns are above average at a rank of 87, which means that the stock returns have recently been above 87% of alternative investments. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 45, 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 Service International, 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: Service International Debt Financing Safety above-average

SAFETY METRICS September 19, 2024
LEVERAGE
LEVERAGE
REFINANCING
REFINANCING
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 61 (better than 61% compared with alternatives), the company Service International 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 Service International 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 Service International. Refinancing is at 55, meaning the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 55% of its competitors. Liquidity is also good at 62, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 62% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is safer when it comes to debt service. However, Leverage is rather large at 44, which means the company has an above-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has more debt than 56% of its competitors. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 61 (better than 61% compared with alternatives), Service International 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 Service International 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: Service International Below-Average Financial Performance

COMBINED PERFORMANCE September 19, 2024
VALUE
VALUE
GROWTH
GROWTH
SAFETY
SAFETY
COMBINED
COMBINED

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 45 (worse than 55% compared with investment alternatives), Service International (Specialized Consumer Services, USA) shares have somewhat below-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Service International are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 37 (worse than 63% of alternatives) and show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 45) but are safely financed (Safety Rank of 61), which means low debt burdens. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 45, is a hold recommendation based on Service International's financial characteristics. As the company Service International's critical financial metrics exhibit below-average performance, such as low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 37) and low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 45), it is a somewhat questionable stock investment, where the risk of paying too much for the shares is significant, unless the company has an exceptionally bright future. In this case, good financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 61) are a positive sign, because it may allow the company to weather challenging times until the hoped-for cash flows materialize. This may be true for high-tech or biotechnology companies with enough cash to sustain prolonged business development. If they own properties that only provide cash flows in the future, the stock may look excessively expensive and unattractive today. In such cases, the Obermatt Method has limited value, as it is based on facts we can observe today. If the facts lie all in the future, stock investing becomes guesswork, and this should only be a driver in a limited number of investments that account for a small fraction of a safe portfolio. ...read more

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