November 16, 2023
Top 10 Stock iA Financial Strong Buy 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: iA Financial – Top 10 Stock in SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
iA Financial 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. As three out of four consolidated Obermatt Ranks exhibit excellent performance, it is a solid investment where the risk of paying too much for the shares is low, despite a currently slow growth momentum. Based on the Obermatt 360° View of 80 (top 80% performer), Obermatt assesses an overall strong buy recommendation for iA Financial on November 16, 2023.
Snapshot: Obermatt Ranks
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 iA Financial Strong Buy
| 360 METRICS | November 16, 2023 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 78 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 47 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 84 |
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| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 88 |
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| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | 80 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt 360° View of 80 (better than 80% compared with alternatives) for 2022, overall professional sentiment and financial characteristics for the stock iA Financial are very positive. The 360° View is based on consolidating four consolidated indicators, with half of the indicators below and half above average for iA Financial. The consolidated Value Rank has an attractive rank of 78, which means that the share price of iA Financial is on the lower side compared with typical size in indicators such as revenues, profits, and invested capital. This means the stock price is lower than for 78% of alternative stocks in the same industry. The company is also safely financed with a Safety rank of 84. In addition, professional market sentiment is above average compared with other stock investment alternatives with a Sentiment Rank of 88. But the consolidated Growth Rank has a low rank of 47, which means that the company is below average in terms of growth and momentum when looking at financial metrics such as revenue, profit, and invested capital growth as well as stock returns. 53 of its competitors have better growth. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated 360° View of 80, iA Financial is better positioned than 80% of all alternative stock investment opportunities based on the Obermatt Method. Three out of four consolidated Obermatt Ranks show above-average performance. The stock has as good value (Value Rank of 78), secure financing practices (Safety Rank of 84), and positive market sentiment in the professional investor community (Sentiment Rank of 88). It is a solid stock investment where the risk of paying too much for the shares is limited, and disappointments are less likely to occur. The company’s growth expectations are below the industry average (Growth Rank of 47), but that could also be temporary since professional investors remain optimistic despite the low growth numbers. The low price as reflected in the good Value Rank could indicate that the company's future is challenging. The below-par growth performance may be the reason for this. Companies that grow less are typically cheaper than fast-growing competitors. We recommend evaluating whether the future of iA Financial is as difficult as the stock’s low price suggests, despite the positive professional investor sentiment. Since the professional community is optimistic, you might have less to worry about, and the stock may just go through a more challenging phase now, indicating good timing. ...read more
Sentiment Strategy: Professional Market Sentiment for iA Financial very positive
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Sentiment Rank of 88 (better than 88% compared with alternatives) for 2022, overall professional sentiment and engagement for the stock iA Financial is very positive. The Sentiment Rank is based on consolidating four sentiment indicators where all but one are above average for iA Financial. Analyst Opinions are at a rank of 72 (better than 72% of alternative investments), which means that currently, stock research analysts tend to recommend a stock investment in the company. The Professional Investors rank is also good at 96, which means that currently, professional investors hold more stock in this company than in 96% of alternative investment opportunities. Pros tend to favor investing in this company. In addition, Market Pulse has a rank of 91 which means that the current professional news and professional social networks are on the positive side when discussing this company (more positive news than for 91% of competitors). But Analyst Opinions Change has a below-average rank of 44, which means that stock research experts are currently changing their opinions for the worse when it comes to recommending this stock. In other words, they are getting more critical of investments in iA Financial. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Sentiment Rank of 88 (more positive than 88% compared with investment alternatives), iA Financial has a reputation among professional investors that is significantly higher than that of its competitors. This is an early sign of caution, even if the stock has significantly appreciated. If analysts change their opinions, the stock may become too expensive. If the price is on the way down, the trend may continue. This may be a stock with a good reputation and history, but it may have reached its breaking point by now. Investors should look at the Value Ranks as well. If they indicate trouble, it might just materialize in the future. ...read more
Value Strategy: iA Financial Stock Price Value at the top
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 78 (better than 78% compared with alternatives) for 2022, iA Financial shares are significantly less expensive than comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators that are all above average for iA Financial. Price-to-Sales is 63 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 63% of comparable companies, indicating a good value for iA Financial's revenue size. The same is valid for expected Price-to-Profits, more favorable than for 73% of alternatives, and this is also true for the Price-to-Book capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Capital Rank of 57. Compared with other companies in the same industry, dividend yields of iA Financial are expected to be higher than for 80% of all competitors (a Dividend Yield rank of 80). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 78, is a buy recommendation based on iA Financial's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Since all value metrics are above the industry average, there is no objection to investing in iA Financial based on its detailed value metrics.
Growth Strategy: iA Financial Growth Momentum low
| GROWTH METRICS | November 16, 2023 | |||||||
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| REVENUE GROWTH | ||||||||
| REVENUE GROWTH | 29 |
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| PROFIT GROWTH | ||||||||
| PROFIT GROWTH | 12 |
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| CAPITAL GROWTH | ||||||||
| CAPITAL GROWTH | 77 |
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| STOCK RETURNS | ||||||||
| STOCK RETURNS | 67 |
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| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | 47 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 47 (better than 47% compared with alternatives), iA Financial 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 iA Financial. Capital Growth has a rank of 77, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its invested capital more than 12% of its competitors. Investors welcomed this, visible in the Stock Returns rank of 67 (above 67% of alternative investments). But Sales Growth has only a rank of 29, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow less than 71% of its competitors, and Profit Growth is also low at a rank of 12. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 47, is a hold recommendation for growth and momentum investors. This is an ambiguous picture. Revenue growth and capital growth are strong, but the growth in profit, which seems good, can also be an indication that growth momentum may be negative. The fact that stock returns have been above average doesn't help much, as stock returns are less reliable in showing a company’s future growth potential. Prices may perform well for the simple reason that investors were too pessimistic in the past and are now correcting their opinions and moving the stock price to a more reasonable level. As the growth picture is mixed for iA Financial, investors may want to look at value and sentiment indicators for a well-rounded picture of this stock. ...read more
Safety Strategy: iA Financial Debt Financing Safety very solid
| SAFETY METRICS | November 16, 2023 | |||||||
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| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 83 |
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| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 64 |
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| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 94 |
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| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 84 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 84 (better than 84% compared with alternatives) for 2022, the company iA Financial has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of iA Financial 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, where all three are above average for iA Financial. Leverage is at 83, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 83% of its competitors. Refinancing is at a rank of 64, meaning that the portion of the debt about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 64% of its competitors. Finally, Liquidity is also good at a rank of 94, which means that the company generates more profit to service its debt than 94% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 84 (better than 84% compared with alternatives), iA Financial has a financing structure that is significantly safer than that of its competitors. These three positive financing indicators signal that the company is less likely to default on its debt obligations. However, it also means that its shareholder returns will be more modest if things go well. A low safety means fewer troubles in downtimes and less upside in good times. ...read more
Combined financial peformance: iA Financial Top Financial Performance
| COMBINED PERFORMANCE | November 16, 2023 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 78 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 47 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 94 |
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| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 79 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 79 (better than 79% compared with investment alternatives), iA Financial (Life & Health Insurance, Canada) shares have much better financial characteristics than comparable stocks. Shares of iA Financial are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 78 (better than 78% of alternatives), are safely financed (Safety Rank of 84, which means low debt burdens), but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 47). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 79, is a strong buy recommendation based on iA Financial's financial characteristics. As the company iA Financial's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 78) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 47) while being safely financed (Obermatt Safety Rank of 84), it may be a safer investment because companies with low debt can better withstand times of crises. Yet the good value, better than 78% of comparable companies, may also indicate that 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 and the downside is limited due to below-average financing risks. ...read more
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