May 23, 2024
Top 10 Stock Spok 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: Spok – Top 10 Stock in Dow Jones U.S. Telecommunications Index
Spok is listed as a top 10 stock on May 23, 2024 in the market index D.J. US Telecom because of its high performance in at least one of the Obermatt investment strategies. While half the consolidated Obermatt Ranks are above-average, investor sentiment is negative and growth performance is below market average, both a sign for caution. Based on the Obermatt 360° View of 88 (top 88% performer), Obermatt assesses an overall strong buy recommendation for Spok on May 23, 2024.
Snapshot: Obermatt Ranks
| Country | USA |
| Industry | Wireless Telecommunication |
| Index | NASDAQ, D.J. US Telecom |
| Size class | Small |
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 Spok Strong Buy
| 360 METRICS | May 23, 2024 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 54 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 41 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 89 |
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| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 48 |
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| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | 88 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt 360° View of 88 (better than 88% compared with alternatives) for 2022, overall professional sentiment and financial characteristics for the stock Spok are very positive. The 360° View is based on consolidating four consolidated indicators, with half the metrics below and half above average for Spok. The consolidated Value Rank has an attractive rank of 54, which means that the share price of Spok is on the lower side compared with the typical size in indicators such as revenues, profits, and invested capital. This means the stock price is lower than for 54% of alternative stocks in the same industry. The company is also safely financed with a Safety rank of 89. But the professional market sentiment is below average compared with other stock investment alternatives with a Sentiment Rank of 48. Professional investors are more confident in 52% other stocks. The consolidated Growth Rank also has a low rank of 41, which means that the company is below average in terms of growth momentum when looking at financial metrics such as revenue, profit, invested capital growth, and stock returns. 59 of its competitors have better growth. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated 360° View of 88, Spok is better positioned than 88% of all alternative stock investment opportunities based on the Obermatt Method. The picture is mixed here. The stock seems to be a good value (Value Rank of 54), and the financing structure is on the safer side (Safety Rank of 89). However, sentiment in the professional investor community is below-average (Sentiment Rank of 48), as is the growth momentum for the company (Growth Rank of 41). Since the company is good value and the share price low, it should attract investors, yet professionals are skeptical. Even though the financing structure is not as important as Value, Growth, and Sentiment, investors should still be careful with this decision and conduct further research if they are serious about investing in this company. ...read more
Sentiment Strategy: Professional Market Sentiment for Spok only reserved
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Sentiment Rank of 48 (better than 48% compared with alternatives), overall professional sentiment and engagement for the stock Spok is below industry average. The Sentiment Rank is based on consolidating four sentiment indicators, with half of the indicators below and half above average for Spok. Analyst Opinions are at a rank of 77 (better than 77% of alternative investments), which means that currently, stock research analysts tend to recommend a stock investment in the company. Market Pulse is also positive with a rank of 75, which means that the current professional news and professional social networks are positive when discussing this company (more positive news than for 75% of competitors). But Analyst Opinions Change is negative with a below 50 rank of 1, which means that stock research experts are changing their opinions for the worse in recommending the company. In other words, they are getting more critical of investments in Spok. There are also only so many institutional investors holding company stock with a Professional Investors rank of 46, which means that, currently, professional investors hold less stock in this company than in 54% of alternative investment opportunities. Pros tend to invest in other companies. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Sentiment Rank of 48 (less encouraging than 52% compared with investment alternatives), Spok has a reputation among professional investors that is below that of its competitors. The signals are ambivalent. The positive news in the market contradicts the negative change in analyst recommendations. Since the overall analyst recommendations are still above average, the stock may be safer for investing, especially if it is not an extra-large company where Pros tend to be less present. In such a case, the Pro Investor rank is not a problem. ...read more
Value Strategy: Spok Stock Price Value better than average
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 54 (better than 54% compared with alternatives), Spok shares are more attractively priced than the majority of comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators below average for Spok. Only the metric dividend yield has an above-average rank, reflecting that dividend practices are expected to be higher than 98% 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 25 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than 75% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning Spok's sales levels. The same is valid for Price-to-Profit (also referred to as price-earnings, P/E) with a rank of 31 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profit levels is higher than 69% of comparable companies. In addition, Price-to-Book (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Book Rank of 38 is also low. Compared with invested capital, the stock price is higher than for 62% of comparable investments. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 54, is a buy recommendation based on Spok's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Should dividend investors pick Spok? 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 Spok only if they reasonably expect the low current profit levels to be transitory. ...read more
Growth Strategy: Spok Growth Momentum low
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 41 (better than 41% compared with alternatives), Spok 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 Spok. Sales Growth has a below market rank of 27, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow less than 73% of its competitors. The same is valid for Capital Growth, with a rank of 7, 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 90, which means that the stock returns have recently been above 90% 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 Spok, 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: Spok Debt Financing Safety very solid
| SAFETY METRICS | May 23, 2024 | |||||||
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| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 100 |
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| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 61 |
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| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 24 |
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| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 89 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 89 (better than 89% compared with alternatives) for 2022, the company Spok has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of Spok 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 where two out of three are above average for Spok.Leverage is at 100, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 100% of its competitors.Refinancing is at a rank of 61, meaning that the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 61% of its competitors. Liquidity is at 24, meaning that the company generates less profit to service its debt than 76% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is on the riskier side regarding debt service. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 89 (better than 89% compared with alternatives), Spok has a financing structure that is significantly safer than that of its competitors. Low leverage and low refinancing risk mean a safer financing situation. However, low liquidity means that current company cash flows are low in relation to the level of debt. This is a sign of caution in case it is expected for profits to remain low. ...read more
Combined financial peformance: Spok Above-Average Financial Performance
| COMBINED PERFORMANCE | May 23, 2024 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 54 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 41 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 24 |
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| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 66 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 66 (better than 66% compared with investment alternatives), Spok (Wireless Telecommunication, USA) shares have above-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Spok are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 54 (better than 54% of alternatives), are safely financed (Safety Rank of 89, which means low debt burdens), but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 41). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 66, is a buy recommendation based on Spok's financial characteristics. As the company Spok's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 54) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 41) while being safely financed (Obermatt Safety Rank of 89), it may be a safer investment because companies with low debt can better withstand times of crises. Yet the good value, better than 54% 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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