Jefferies Has 4 Solid Stocks to Buy in a Very Rich Market

Investing

Published: November 28, 2016 10:25 am

Last Updated: January 12, 2020 5:23 pm

The Trump rally has been a beautiful climb for most investors, and recently all four major indexes closed at 52-week highs, an event that hadn’t happened since 1999. While equities still look like the way to go for most investors, it may be time to look for stocks rated Buy that have better upside potential. Chasing hot names now could lead to some big losses if the market takes a tumble.

A recent Jefferies research report focuses on some stocks rated Buy that have some value for investors at current trading levels. While some have lagged their peers, they could be just the ticket for investors looking to put some cash to work who are wary of the long rally.

Twenty-First Century Fox

This stock has trailed its peers and the broader market and could be a great buy at current levels. Twenty-First Century Fox Inc. (NASDAQ: FOXA) is a diversified international media/entertainment company with balanced and high growth assets.

The company’s operating segments include: Filmed Entertainment (20th Century Fox), TV (FOX Broadcast Network and owned and operated Stations) and Cable Networks like Fox News Channel and FX. It also has a significant equity investment in direct-to-home satellite TV provider BSkyB.

The analysts noted in their report:

We believe the company is well positioned to outperform in calendar 2017. We expect international growth to outpace overall growth and where international contributed 17% of EBITDA in 2016, we see that expanding to 28% in calendar 2020. Our new fiscal 2018 EBITDA estimate is 2% ahead. Stock is trading at 7.8x 2017 EBITDA, below average of 10.2x and a 16% discount to peers.

Shareholders are paid a 1.27% dividend. The Jefferies price objective for the stock is $35, and the Wall Street consensus target is $31.61. The shares closed Friday at $28.36.

DTE Energy

With the potential for a very cold winter on tap, this company may look to extending 2016 gains into next year. DTE Energy Inc. (NYSE: DTE) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide.

The company’s operating units include an electric utility serving 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan and a natural gas utility serving 1.2 million customers in Michigan. The DTE Energy portfolio includes non-utility energy businesses focused on power and industrial projects, natural gas pipelines, gathering and storage, and energy marketing and trading.

DTE recently declared an $0.825 per share dividend on its common stock payable. That is a 7.1% increase from the previous quarterly dividend and reflects the board’s confidence in the company’s growth plans. This hike continues DTE Energy’s consistent dividend history, having issued a cash dividend for more than 100 years.

DTE shareholders receive a 3.51% dividend. Jefferies recently initiated the stock at a Buy, citing the company as a best-in-class utility, with a price target of $102. The consensus target is $100.13. The stock closed Friday at $94.03.

Energy Transfer Partners

This stock was acquired by Sunoco Logistics Partners recently. Energy Transfer Partners L.P. (NYSE: ETP) engages in the natural gas midstream and intrastate transportation and storage businesses in the United States.

The company’s Intrastate Transportation and Storage segment transports natural gas from various natural gas producing areas, and through ET fuel system and HPL system. It owns and operates 7,500 miles of natural gas transportation pipelines and three natural gas storage facilities in Texas. Its Interstate Transportation and Storage segment provides natural gas transportation and storage services; owns and operates approximately 12,300 miles of interstate natural gas pipeline; and has interests in various natural gas pipelines.

The Midstream segment gathers, compresses, treats, blends, processes and markets natural gas. It owns and operates 35,000 miles of in service natural gas, 31 natural gas processing plants, 21 natural gas treating facilities and four natural gas conditioning facilities.

The Liquids Transportation and Services segment transports mixed natural gas liquids (NGLs) and other hydrocarbons; stores mixed NGLs, NGL products and petrochemical products; and separates mixed NGL streams into purity products. It owns and operates various NGL pipelines and NGL storage facilities with aggregate storage capacity of approximately 51 million barrels. Its Investment in Sunoco Logistics segment gathers, purchases, markets and sells crude oil, and it owns and operates 1,800 miles of refined products pipelines.

The Jefferies team likes the deal for shareholders and said this in the report:

Sunoco Logistics announced a definitive agreement to acquire Energy Transfer in a unit-for-unit transaction at an implied price of $39.29/unit, flat with its Friday close and a 10% premium to Energy Transfer 30-day volume weighted average price. Energy Transfer unitholders will receive 1.5 Sunoco Logistics common units for each ETP unit owned. The deal, expected to close in the first quarter of 2017, is subject to customary closing conditions and the receipt of unitholder approval.

Energy Transfer unitholders receive a massive 11.94% distribution. The Jefferies price target is $47, and the consensus target is $45.80. The shares closed Friday at $35.34.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

This company was recently part of the big split in operations at the iconic Hewlett-Packard. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. (NYSE: HPE) is now an industry leading technology company that enables customers to go further, faster. With the industry’s most comprehensive portfolio, spanning the cloud to the data center to workplace applications, the company’s technology and services help customers around the world make IT more efficient, more productive and more secure.

Earlier this year, the company announced a new partnership with Microsoft to offer new innovation in hybrid cloud computing through Microsoft Azure and Hewlett Packard Enterprise infrastructure and services, as well as new program offerings. The extended partnership appoints Microsoft Azure as a preferred public cloud partner.

The Jefferies analysts noted this in their recent report.

The company reported last week. Lower than expected revenues were offset by margin expansion and lower costs and earnings-per-share beat consensus by 1c. Guidance was 2c below consensus. We find current valuation attractive as the company trades at ~5 times on an enterprise value to 2018 estimated EBITDA basis, when backing out the impact of the services and software spins, which compares to 7x for the group.

Shareholders are paid a 1.12% dividend. The Jefferies price target is posted at $27, and the consensus estimate is $23.25. The shares close last Friday at $23.22.

The bottom line for investors looking to add stocks now is to go with growth companies with a value edge. Any way you cut it, shares are expensive, and playing things a little safer now makes good sense.

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