5 Undervalued Companies for Value Investors with a High Beta – October 2015

There are a number of great companies in the market today. By using the ModernGraham Valuation Model, I’ve selected the five undervalued companies for value investors reviewed by ModernGraham with the highest beta.

A company’s beta indicates the correlation at which its price moves in relation to the market. A beta greater than 1 indicates a company is more volatile than the market.

Each company has been determined to be suitable for either the Defensive Investor or the Enterprising Investor according to the ModernGraham approach. Defensive Investors are defined as investors who are not able or willing to do substantial research into individual investments, and therefore need to select only the companies that present the least amount of risk. Enterprising Investors, on the other hand, are able to do substantial research and can select companies that present a moderate (though still low) amount of risk.

With a high beta, Mr. Market may turn these companies around very quickly, so be sure to check them out in depth!

Seagate Technology (STX)

Seagate Technology PLC qualifies for the Enterprising Investor but not the more conservative Defensive Investor. The Defensive Investor is concerned with the insufficient earnings stability or growth over the last ten years, the short dividend history, and the high PB ratio. The Enterprising Investor is only initially concerned with the level of debt relative to the net current assets. As a result, all Enterprising Investors following the ModernGraham approach based on Benjamin Graham’s methods should feel comfortable proceeding with further research into the company.

As for a valuation, the company appears to be undervalued after growing its EPSmg (normalized earnings) from $2.39 in 2012 to an estimated $4.63 for 2015. This level of demonstrated earnings growth outpaces the market’s implied estimate of 1.11% annual earnings growth over the next 7-10 years. As a result, the ModernGraham valuation model, based on Benjamin Graham’s formula, returns an estimate of intrinsic value above the price. (See the full valuation)

Lincoln National Corporation (LNC)

Lincoln National Corporation qualifies for the Enterprising Investor but not the more conservative Defensive Investor. The Defensive Investor is concerned with the insufficient earnings stability over the last ten years, while the Enterprising Investor has no initial concerns. As a result, all value investors following the ModernGraham approach based on Benjamin Graham’s methods should feel comfortable proceeding with the next stage of the analysis.

As for a valuation, the company appears to be undervalued after growing its EPSmg (normalized earnings) from $0.80 in 2011 to an estimated $5.48 for 2015. This level of demonstrated earnings growth outpaces the market’s implied estimate of 0.88% annual earnings growth over the next 7-10 years. As a result, the ModernGraham valuation model, based on Benjamin Graham’s formula, returns an estimate of intrinsic value above the price. (See the full valuation)

Denbury Resources Inc. (DNR)

Denbury Resources Inc. qualifies for the Enterprising Investor but not the more conservative Defensive Investor. The Defensive Investor is concerned with the company size, insufficient earnings growth or stability over the last ten years along with the short dividend history. The Enterprising Investor is concerned with the level of debt relative to the net current assets. As a result, all Enterprising Investors following the ModernGraham approach based on Benjamin Graham’s methods should feel comfortable proceeding with the evaluation.

As for a valuation, the company appears to be undervalued after growing its EPSmg (normalized earnings) from $0.88 in 2011 to an estimated $1.05 for 2015. This level of demonstrated earnings growth surpasses the market’s implied estimate of 2.58% annual earnings decline over the next 7-10 years. As a result, the ModernGraham valuation model, based on Benjamin Graham’s formula, returns an estimate of intrinsic value above the price. (See the full valuation)

Valero Energy Corporation (VLO)

Valero Energy Corporation qualifies for the Enterprising Investor but not the more conservative Defensive Investor. The Defensive Investor is concerned with the low current ratio, and the insufficient earnings growth or stability over the last ten years. The Enterprising Investor has no initial concerns. As a result, all Enterprising Investors following the ModernGraham approach based on Benjamin Graham’s methods should feel comfortable proceeding with the evaluation.

As for a valuation, the company appears to be undervalued after growing its EPSmg (normalized earnings) from $0.95 in 2011 to an estimated $5.66 for 2015. This level of demonstrated earnings growth outpaces the market’s implied estimate of 1.58% annual earnings growth over the next 7-10 years. As a result, the ModernGraham valuation model, based on Benjamin Graham’s formula, returns an estimate of intrinsic value above the price. (See the full valuation)

KKR & Co. L.P. (KKR)

KKR & Co. LP qualifies for the Enterprising Investor but not the Defensive Investor. The Defensive Investor is concerned by the short history as a publicly traded company, while the company passes all of the Enterprising Investor’s requirements. As a result, Enterprising Investors following the ModernGraham approach based on Benjamin Graham’s methods should feel comfortable proceeding with further research into the company and comparing it to other opportunities.

As for a valuation, the company appears undervalued after growing its EPSmg (normalized earnings) from $0.44 in 2011 to an estimated $1.83 for 2015. This level of demonstrated growth is greater than the market’s implied estimate of 2.32% earnings growth and leads the ModernGraham valuation model, which is based on Benjamin Graham’s formula, to return an estimate of intrinsic value above the market price. (See the full valuation)

What do you think? Are these companies a good value for Defensive Investors and Enterprising Investors? Is there a company you like better? Leave a comment on our Facebook page or mention @ModernGraham on Twitter to discuss.

Disclaimer: The author did not hold a position in any company mentioned in this article at the time of publication and had no intention of changing those holdings within the next 72 hours.