In a recent research piece, the team at Jefferies has scoured the market for stocks that become the firm’s value calls for this week. Looking for a low price relative to valuation and peers is essential, but they are also looking for stocks with meaningful upside potential. Here are this week’s five top value stocks to buy.
Ally Financial
This company is the old financing arm of GM that was known before the Great Recession as GMAC. Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY) has been rebuilt into a stronger and more solvent Internet-focused bank with no brick-and-mortar locations. Its customers do their banking solely through the bank’s website, its mobile application and automatic teller machines.
The Jefferies analysts feel that in comparison to peers, which there are actually few structured like Ally, the stock is very cheap. Trading at a low nine times estimated 2016 earnings and at a miniscule one times book value, the analysts feel that there is room to run. In fact, their work indicates the stock should trade more like 1.25 times book value.
With the capital structure optimized and management having diversified the originations platform ahead of expectations, the stock has tremendous value at current levels. The Jefferies price target for the stock is $27. The Thomson/First Call consensus price target is at $26.54. Shares closed on Tuesday at $22.63.
Avago Technologies
This company recently made big headlines with a blockbuster buyout of chip giant Broadcom. Avago Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: AVGO) was originally a part of Hewlett-Packard and gets a huge chunk of its business from Apple and Samsung. It is a big provider in the cloud/hyperscale data center and networking arena. In fact, the company recently announced it will demonstrate its latest optical transceiver technologies for next generation data center and enterprise storage applications. As data center networks transition to 100G speeds to support higher bandwidth demands, technical challenges emerge across various levels of the network from storage endpoints to servers to top-of-rack and core switches.
The Jefferies team feels that the purchase of Broadcom could potentially add a whopping $14 of earnings-per-share power to the company. They also think that with the addition of the company, the market should reward the company with a higher multiple. A higher multiple would ultimately equal a higher stock price.
Jefferies lifts the stock’s rating to Buy from Hold and has a $179 price target. The consensus target is set at $169.19. Shares closed on Tuesday at $144.16.
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Micron Technology
Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) is a global leader in advanced semiconductor systems. Micron’s broad portfolio of high-performance memory technologies, including DRAM, NAND and NOR Flash, is the basis for solid state drives, modules, multichip packages and other system solutions. The company’s memory chip solutions enable the world’s most innovative computing, consumer, enterprise storage, networking, mobile, embedded and automotive applications.
Micron and Intel announced recently the availability of their 3D NAND technology, the world’s highest-density flash memory. Flash is the storage technology used inside the lightest laptops, fastest data centers and nearly every cell phone, tablet and mobile device.
The Jefferies team feels that while DRAM pricing was weaker than expected in the first quarter, the company has taken solid supply-side actions that should help firm pricing.
The Jefferies price target for the stock is $40, and the consensus target is lower at $38.43. Shares closed Tuesday at $27.79.
Rowan Companies
This is a contrarian value play in the energy sector. Rowan Companies PLC (NYSE: RDC) is an offshore driller that might draw some interest if the Jefferies team is correct. The company holds a leading position in high-specification jackup rigs and has a fleet of 30 jackup rigs it operates worldwide, including the Middle East, the North Sea, the Mediterranean, Trinidad, Southeast Asia and the Gulf of Mexico.
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While the worry has been that when the Chinese speculator jackups come to market they could steal away business, given price and features, the Jefferies team feels that the traditional contractors of jackups would have little if any interest. In fact, they feel that Rowan will see little competition from the rigs, even if they lower pricing down the line.
Rowan investors are paid a 1.9% dividend. The Jefferies price target is $27, and the consensus objective is lower at $24. Shares close Tuesday at $22.19.
United Rentals
This stock was spanked to the tune of 9% last week and may be offering investors a good entry point. United Rentals Inc. (NYSE: URI) is the largest equipment rental company in the world. It has an integrated network of 876 rental locations in 49 states and 10 Canadian provinces. With approximately 12,200 employees, the company serves construction and industrial customers, utilities, municipalities, homeowners and others. It offers for rent approximately 3,100 classes of equipment for rent.
Comments by company management at a brokerage conference hit the stock last week, and while the short term may be rough due to the continued slump in the energy sector, the Jefferies analyst feel that at 10 times fiscal 2016 estimated earnings the stock remains cheap.
The Jefferies price target is an eye-opening $130, while the consensus target is much lower at $108.57. The stock closed Tuesday at $92.06.
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While by many traditional metrics these may not look like true value stocks to some investors, the Jefferies team has indeed found stocks that at current trading levels offer investors great value and upside potential.
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