September 14, 2023
Top 10 Stock ACS Hold 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: ACS – Top 10 Stock in Iberia Index IBEX 35
ACS is listed as a top 10 stock on September 14, 2023 in the market index IBEX 35 because of its high performance in at least one of the Obermatt investment strategies. Only the Obermatt Value Rank exhibits above-average performance, which means that the stock is seen as critical by the professional community and other financial facts are below average, conveying mixed investment signals. Based on the Obermatt 360° View of 41 (41% performer), Obermatt assesses an overall hold recommendation for ACS on September 14, 2023.
Snapshot: Obermatt Ranks
| Country | Spain |
| Industry | Construction & Engineering |
| Index | IBEX 35, Customer Focus EU, Dividends Europe, Human Rights, Water Tech |
| Size class | XX-Large |
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 ACS Hold
| 360 METRICS | September 14, 2023 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 67 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 43 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 30 |
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| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 35 |
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| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | 41 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt 360° View of 41 (better than 41% compared with alternatives), overall professional sentiment and financial characteristics for the stock ACS are below the industry average. The 360° View is based on consolidating four consolidated indicators, with three out of four indicators below average for ACS. Only the consolidated Value Rank has an attractive rank of 67, which means that the share price of ACS is on the lower side compared with the typical size in indicators such as revenues, profits, and invested capital. This means that the stock price is lower than for 67% of alternative stocks in the same industry. All other consolidated ranks are below average. The consolidated Growth Rank has a low rank of 43, which means that the company exhibits below-average growth momentum when looking at financial metrics such as revenue, profit, and invested capital growth as well as stock returns. The consolidated Safety Rank has a riskier rank of 30, meaning the company has a riskier financing structure than 70% comparable companies when looking at the amount of its debt, its refinancing requirements, and its ability to service debt. Finally, professionals are more pessimistic about the stock than for 65% of alternative investment opportunities, reflected in the consolidated Sentiment Rank of 35. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated 360° View of 41, ACS is worse than 59% of all alternative stock investment opportunities based on the Obermatt Method. Only one of the consolidated Obermatt Ranks exhibits above-average performance, namely the Value Rank at a level of 67. All other ranks are below average, so proceed with caution. The company has below-average growth expectations (Growth Rank of 43), a riskier financing structure than the competition (Safety Rank of 30), and the market sentiment in the professional investor community ranking at (Sentiment Rank of 35) is negative. This combination is sensitive to a crisis, because high debt levels (low safety) require growth to finance the debt burden. It’s no wonder that the investor community indicators are skeptical (low sentiment). Good value is sometimes an indication that the company's future is challenging. The below-par growth performance may be the reason for this assessment. We recommend evaluating whether the future of ACS is as challenging as the low price of the stock suggests. Since the professional community is pessimistic, you might need to worry about the future of ACS. Only invest if you have solid reasons to believe that the low growth is temporary and the current market sentiment is an overreaction, possibly due to reputational issues in the past. ...read more
Sentiment Strategy: Professional Market Sentiment for ACS only reserved
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Sentiment Rank of 35 (better than 35% compared with alternatives), overall professional sentiment and engagement for the stock ACS is below industry average. The Sentiment Rank is based on consolidating four sentiment indicators, with three out of four metrics below average for ACS. Analyst Opinions are at a rank of 19 (worse than 81% of alternative investments), which means that currently, stock research analysts tend to warn against investing in the stock of the company. But they are changing their opinions! Analyst Opinions Change has a rank of 50, which means that stock research experts have found something to make them more positive about investing in the company. In other words, they are getting more optimistic of stock investments in ACS. But the Professional Investors rank is low at 43, which means that professional investors hold less stock in this company than in 57% of alternative investment opportunities. Pros tend to invest in other companies. Market Pulse is also low at a rank of 43, which means that the current professional news and professional social networks tend to be negative when discussing this company (more negative news than for 57% of competitors). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Sentiment Rank of 35 (less encouraging than 65% compared with investment alternatives), ACS has a reputation among professional investors that is below that of its competitors. These are quite a few negative sentiment signals. One may want to trust the analysts that are changing their opinions. They may be early indications of better times, especially if the company is a smaller one. But If they are an extra large company, they should have more professional stockholders than are currently present. ...read more
Value Strategy: ACS Stock Price Value better than average
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 67 (better than 67% compared with alternatives), ACS shares are more attractively priced than the majority of comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, where three out of four indicators are above average for ACS. Price-to-Sales (P/S) is 71 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 71% of comparable companies, indicating a good value for ACS's revenue size. The same is valid for the Price-to-Book Capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Capital Rank of 55. Finally, compared with other companies in the same industry, dividend yields of ACS are expected to be higher than for 87% of all competitors (a Dividend Yield rank of 87). The only low rank is for expected profits with a Price-to-Profit Rank of 32, indicating that the market expects the company's profit to be low despite a high dividend. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 67, is a buy recommendation based on ACS's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. The low Profit Rank could result from a one-off charge, for instance, for an accident, a legal settlement, or a restructuring project. If the company keeps its dividends high, the low expected profit may be transitory. If that is the case, the three good value ranks for Sales, Capital, and Dividends are reliable indicators for good stock price value, a low stock price. ...read more
Growth Strategy: ACS Growth Momentum low
| GROWTH METRICS | September 14, 2023 | |||||||
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| REVENUE GROWTH | ||||||||
| REVENUE GROWTH | 56 |
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| PROFIT GROWTH | ||||||||
| PROFIT GROWTH | 29 |
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| CAPITAL GROWTH | ||||||||
| CAPITAL GROWTH | 1 |
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| STOCK RETURNS | ||||||||
| STOCK RETURNS | 93 |
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| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | 43 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 43 (better than 43% compared with alternatives), ACS 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 half of the indicators below and half above average for ACS. Sales Growth has a rank of 56 which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow more than 56% of its competitors. Stock Returns are also above average with a rank of 93. But Capital Growth has only a rank of 1, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its invested capital less than 99% of its competitors. Profit Growth is also low, with a rank of only 29, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow its profits below average. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 43, is a hold recommendation for growth and momentum investors. This is a surprising picture, as the messages from the operating growth indicators of revenues, profits, and invested capital are mixed, while stock returns are above average. It may indicate new intellectual properties, such as brand improvement or a strong market position that shows in revenues but not in the capital. The low profit-growth rate may indicate an early phase where costs are still high, and revenues don't fully cover upfront investments or fixed costs. The positive investor outlook with a 93% peer outperformance is reaffirmed in this case which may be a good sign for an investment into a well-protected high-growth company. This fact needs to be confirmed by researching the company website and press. ...read more
Safety Strategy: ACS Debt Financing Safety below-average
| SAFETY METRICS | September 14, 2023 | |||||||
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| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 18 |
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| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 84 |
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| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 8 |
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| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 30 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 30 (better than 30% compared with alternatives), the company ACS has financing practices on the riskier side, which means that their overall debt burden is above the industry average. This doesn't mean that the business of ACS is also risky, it only means that the company is on the riskier side in respect to bankruptcy in case things turn sour, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators, with just one indicator above average for ACS and the other two below average. Refinancing is at 84, meaning the portion of the debt about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 84% of its competitors. But Leverage is high with a rank of 18, meaning the company has an above-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has more debt than 82% of its competitors. Liquidity is also on the riskier side with a rank of 8, meaning the company generates less profit to service its debt than 92% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 30 (worse than 70% compared with alternatives), ACS has a financing structure that is riskier than that of its competitors. A good Refinancing Rank means that the problems of the company may not be around the corner. But high Leverage is only good if things go well, and low Liquidity is a signal for caution. The financing signals for ACS are on the riskier side, requiring the company's future to be on the safer side. Investors may want to look at Growth and Sentiment ranks before making an investment decision. ...read more
Combined financial peformance: ACS Above-Average Financial Performance
| COMBINED PERFORMANCE | September 14, 2023 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 67 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 43 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 8 |
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| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 52 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 52 (better than 52% compared with investment alternatives), ACS (Construction & Engineering, Spain) shares have above-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of ACS are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 67 (better than 67% of alternatives) but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 43), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 30), which means above-average debt burdens. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 52, is a buy recommendation based on ACS's financial characteristics. As the company ACS's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 67) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 43) and risky financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 30), it may be a risky investment, because debt in times of crises can make things worse. The good value, better than 67% of comparable companies, may indicate 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. ...read more
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