November 16, 2023
Top 10 Stock Argo Sell 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: Argo – Top 10 Stock in SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Argo is listed as a top 10 stock on November 16, 2023 in the market index SDG 11 because of its high performance in at least one of the Obermatt investment strategies. Only one consolidated Obermatt Rank is above-average. The company is safely financed, but all other facts speak against a stock purchase, especially the low market sentiment by professional investors. Based on the Obermatt 360° View of 20 (20% performer), Obermatt issues an overall sell recommendation for Argo on November 16, 2023.
Snapshot: Obermatt Ranks
| Country | Bermuda |
| Industry | Property & Casualty Insurance |
| Index | Good Governace Growth Markets, Human Rights, SDG 11, SDG 13, SDG 5 |
| Size class | 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 Argo Sell
| 360 METRICS | November 16, 2023 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 48 |
|
||||||
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 29 |
|
||||||
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 85 |
|
||||||
| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 1 |
|
||||||
| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | 20 |
|
||||||
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt 360° View of 20 (better than 20% compared with alternatives), overall professional sentiment and financial characteristics for the stock Argo are critical, mostly below average. The 360° View is based on consolidating four consolidated indicators, with three out of four metrics below average for Argo. The only rank that is above average is the consolidated Safety Rank at 85, which means that the company has a financing structure that is safer than those of 85% comparable companies when looking at the amount of its debt, its refinancing requirements, and its ability to service debt. But the Value, Growth and Sentiment Ranks are all below average. The consolidated Value Rank has a less desirable rank of 48, which means that the share price of Argo is on the high side compared with typical size in indicators such as revenues, profits, and invested capital. The consolidated Growth Rank also has a low rank of 29, which implies 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. Finally, the consolidated Sentiment Rank is also low at a rank of 1, which means that professional investors are more pessimistic about the stock than for 99% of alternative investment opportunities. While Safety is strong, it’s not the most critical indicator, so we suggest proceeding with caution if you are considering this stock. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated 360° View of 20, Argo is worse than 80% of all alternative stock investment opportunities based on the Obermatt Method. This means that Argo shares are on the riskier side for investors. As only the financing structure, namely the Safety Rank, is on the safer side and all other consolidated Obermatt Ranks are below-average, this is a riskier stock investment proposition. This is especially the case, since professional investor sentiment, the consolidated Obermatt Sentiment Rank, is also low at 1. The negative market view on Argo may be the high stock price (low value) or the low level of growth. This is a problem. As the Safety Rank is the least significant of the four consolidated Obermatt Ranks, we cannot identify enough positive facts that are visible today to make a case for this stock investment. The company may have a strong future which would justify the high stock price, but this is not visible from investor behavior today. As market sentiment is critical, you should be careful with paying more than market-average for this stock, and conduct further research into the company's future growth potential. Prudent investors may only want to invest a smaller portion of their wealth in such situations. Young investors can carry more risk but should still thrive for sufficient diversification. ...read more
Sentiment Strategy: Professional Market Sentiment for Argo negative
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Sentiment Rank of 1 (better than 1% compared with alternatives), overall professional sentiment and engagement for the stock Argo is critical, mostly below average. The Sentiment Rank is based on consolidating four sentiment indicators, with half of the metrics below and half above average for Argo. Analyst Opinions are at a rank of 7 (worse than 93% of alternative investments), which means that currently, stock research analysts tend to warn against investing in the stock of the company. Worse, Analyst Opinions Change has a rank of 14 which means that stock research experts are getting even more pessimistic. It doesn't end with the analysts. Market Pulse is also low with a rank of 41, which means that the current professional news and professional social networks are on the negative side when discussing this company (more negative news than for 59% of competitors). No wonder, the Professional Investors rank is only 1, which means that professional investors hold less stock in this company than in 99% of alternative investment opportunities. Pros tend to stay away from Argo, which may be due to a small company size but just as likely because of its relatively low Sentiment Rank. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Sentiment Rank of 1 (less encouraging than 99% compared with investment alternatives), Argo has a reputation among professional investors that is far below that of its competitors. Investors should be careful with this stock right now. Further research is required if an investment is desired, because the facts found in the professional community are all negative. ...read more
Value Strategy: Argo Stock Price Value below-average critical
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 48 (worse than 52% compared with alternatives), Argo shares are more expensive than the average comparable stock. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, where half the indicators are below and half above average for Argo. Price-to-Sales (P/S) is 81, which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 81% of comparable companies, indicating a good value concerning Argo's revenue size. The same is valid for the Price-to-Book Capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio), which is more favorable than for 63% of alternatives (37% of peers have a higher ratio). But expected dividend yields with a Dividend Yield rank of 29 are lower than average (dividends are expected to be lower than 71% of other stocks) while the Price to Profit ratio (or Price to Earnings (P/E) ratio) is higher than average with a Price-to-Profit Rank of 15, making the stock more expensive compared with the company's expected profit levels. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 48, is a hold recommendation based on Argo's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Low profits and low dividends as seen here for Argo may indicate a restructuring phase. This could be transitory, making the company a good value when profits recover and dividends return to higher levels. If the stock price is compared with the size indicators for revenue and invested capital, it is on the lower side, making this stock a good value investment (apart from current profit and dividend expectations). ...read more
Growth Strategy: Argo Growth Momentum low
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 29 (better than 29% compared with alternatives), Argo 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 Argo. Profit Growth has a rank of 98, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its profits more than 98% of its competitors. This is a good sign for shareholders, which is confirmed by an above-average Stock Returns rank of 61 (above 61% of alternative investments). But Sales Growth has a below the median rank of 10, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow less than 90% of its competitors, and Capital Growth also has a lower rank of 3. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 29, is a hold recommendation for growth and momentum investors. Because revenues and invested capital are the more solid growth indicators, the positive development on the profit side is less relevant. It may have been caused by cost-cutting, which may be a negative growth indicator. Finally, the above-average stock returns recently are a thing of the past and not a good indicator of future returns. Investors should be confident that the cost-cutting initiative leading to higher profits is to benefit the company's future. If not, there is little growth momentum, and investment is only advisable if the Value Ranks suggest a good investment timing for Argo. ...read more
Safety Strategy: Argo Debt Financing Safety very solid
| SAFETY METRICS | November 16, 2023 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 48 |
|
||||||
| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 0 |
|
||||||
| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 4 |
|
||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 85 |
|
||||||
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 85 (better than 85% compared with alternatives) for 2022, the company Argo has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of Argo 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, with all three metrics below average for Argo. Liquidity is at 4, meaning that the company generates less profit to service its debt than 96% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is on the riskier side when it comes to debt service. Even worse, Leverage is at a rank of 48, meaning the company has an above-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has more debt than 52% of its competitors. Finally, Refinancing is at a rank of 0 which means that the portion of the debt about to be refinanced is above average. It has more debt in the refinancing stage than 100% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 85 (better than 85% compared with alternatives), Argo has a financing structure that is significantly safer than that of its competitors. This combination is rather dangerous in most situations. Only very promising companies with bright future outlooks and stellar reputations can operate with such risky financing.
Combined financial peformance: Argo Below-Average Financial Performance
| COMBINED PERFORMANCE | November 16, 2023 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 48 |
|
||||||
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 29 |
|
||||||
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 4 |
|
||||||
| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 40 |
|
||||||
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 40 (worse than 60% compared with investment alternatives), Argo (Property & Casualty Insurance, Bermuda) shares have somewhat below-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Argo are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 48 (worse than 52% of alternatives) and show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 29) but are safely financed (Safety Rank of 85), which means low debt burdens. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 40, is a hold recommendation based on Argo's financial characteristics. As the company Argo's critical financial metrics exhibit below-average performance, such as low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 48) and low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 29), it is a somewhat questionable stock investment, where the risk of paying too much for the shares is significant, unless the company has an exceptionally bright future. In this case, good financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 85) are a positive sign, because it may allow the company to weather challenging times until the hoped-for cash flows materialize. This may be true for high-tech or biotechnology companies with enough cash to sustain prolonged business development. If they own properties that only provide cash flows in the future, the stock may look excessively expensive and unattractive today. In such cases, the Obermatt Method has limited value, as it is based on facts we can observe today. If the facts lie all in the future, stock investing becomes guesswork, and this should only be a driver in a limited number of investments that account for a small fraction of a safe portfolio. ...read more
Obermatt Portfolio Performance
We’re so convinced about our research, that we buy our stock tips.
See the performance of the Obermatt portfolio.