May 11, 2023
Top 10 Stock Macfarlane Group 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: Macfarlane Group – Top 10 Stock in Wood & Timber Industry


macfarlanegroup.com


Macfarlane Group is listed as a top 10 stock on May 11, 2023 in the market index Timber Industry 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° Rank of 41 (41% performer), Obermatt assesses an overall hold recommendation for Macfarlane Group on May 11, 2023.


Snapshot: Obermatt Ranks


Country United Kingdom
Industry Trading & Distribution
Index FTSE All Shares, Timber Industry
Size class Medium
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Top 10 Stocks ≠ most popular stocks

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° Assessment Macfarlane Group Hold

360 METRICS May 11, 2023
VALUE
VALUE
GROWTH
GROWTH
SAFETY
SAFETY
SENTIMENT
SENTIMENT
360° VIEW
360° VIEW

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt 360° Rank of 41 (better than 41% compared with alternatives), overall professional sentiment and engagement for the stock Macfarlane Group are below the industry average. The 360° Rank is based on consolidating four consolidated indicators, with half of the indicators below and half above average for Macfarlane Group. The consolidated Value Rank has an attractive rank of 75, which means that the share price of Macfarlane Group 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 75% of alternative stocks in the same industry. The company is also safely financed with a Safety rank of 60. In addition, professional market sentiment is above average compared with other stock investment alternatives with a Sentiment Rank of 53. But the consolidated Growth Rank has a low rank of 7, 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. 93 of its competitors have better growth. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a 360° Rank of 41, Macfarlane Group is worse than 59% 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 75), secure financing practices (Safety Rank of 60), and positive market sentiment in the professional investor community (Sentiment Rank of 53). 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 growth expectations are below the industry average (Growth Rank of 7), 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 ranking can sometimes 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 Macfarlane Group 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 Macfarlane Group positive

SENTIMENT METRICS May 11, 2023
ANALYST OPINION
ANALYST OPINION
OPINIONS CHANGE
OPINIONS CHANGE
PRO HOLDINGS
PRO HOLDINGS
MARKET PULSE
MARKET PULSE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Sentiment Rank of 53 (better than 53% compared with alternatives), overall professional sentiment and engagement for the stock Macfarlane Group is above average. The Sentiment Rank is based on consolidating four sentiment indicators, with all but one indicator above average for Macfarlane Group. Analyst Opinions are at a rank of 100 (better than 100% of alternative investments), which means that, currently, stock research analysts tend to recommend a stock investment in the company. In addition, Analyst Opinions Change has a rank of 50, which means that stock research experts are changing their opinions for the better in recommending investing in the company. In other words, they are getting even more optimistic about investments in Macfarlane Group. Finally, the Professional Investors rank is 61, which means that currently, professional investors hold more stock in this company than in 61% of alternative investment opportunities. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With an Obermatt Sentiment Rank of 53 (more positive than 53% compared with investment alternatives), Macfarlane Group has a reputation among professional investors that is above-average compared with that of its competitors. Pros tend to favor investing in this company. But there is also a signal for caution. Market Pulse has a rank of 11, which means that the current professional news and professional social networks tend to be negative when discussing this company (more negative news than for 89% of competitors). This could mean future risks and should make investors careful. Attention to negative news for Macfarlane Group is worthwhile because they may be early warning signals. Without those, all other professional signals are encouraging, especially since analysts are getting more optimistic. ...read more



Value Strategy: Macfarlane Group Stock Price Value at the top

VALUE METRICS May 11, 2023
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
DIVIDEND YIELD
DIVIDEND YIELD
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 75 (better than 75% compared with alternatives) for 2023, Macfarlane Group shares are significantly less expensive than comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators that are all above average for Macfarlane Group. Price-to-Sales has a value of 65 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than 65% of comparable companies, indicating a good value for Macfarlane Group's revenue size. The same is valid for expected Price-to-Profits, more favorable than 79% of alternatives, and it is also true for the Price-to-Book capital (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with an Obermatt Price-to-Capital Rank of 52. Compared with other companies in the same industry, dividend yields of Macfarlane Group are expected to be higher than 75% of all competitors (an Obermatt Dividend Yield rank of 75). ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 75, is a strong buy recommendation based on Macfarlane Group'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 Macfarlane Group based on its detailed value metrics.



Growth Strategy: Macfarlane Group Growth Momentum negative

GROWTH METRICS May 11, 2023
REVENUE GROWTH
REVENUE GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH
STOCK RETURNS
STOCK RETURNS
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 7 (better than 7% compared with alternatives), Macfarlane Group shows one of the most restricted growth dynamics in its industry. There is little momentum in this company. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with all four metrics below average for Macfarlane Group. Sales Growth has a rank of 33, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow less than 67% of its competitors. The same is valid for Profit Growth, with a rank of 35, and Capital Growth with 16. In addition, Stock Returns have a below market rank of 27, which means that the stock returns have recently been below 73% of alternative investments. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 7, is a SELL recommendation for growth and momentum investors. These are all bad growth momentum indicators. These are negative signals for investors interested in growth companies. Value is likely good for this company, as investors may have left this stock in the cold. If that is the case, investors should look at the company's prospects, especially Sentiment performance, because it may be a turnaround situation that could entail above-average returns in the future. But it remains a risky bet, as no growth signals are in the green zone yet. ...read more



Safety Strategy: Macfarlane Group Debt Financing Safety above-average

SAFETY METRICS May 11, 2023
LEVERAGE
LEVERAGE
REFINANCING
REFINANCING
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 60 (better than 60% compared with alternatives), the company Macfarlane Group has financing practices on the safer side, which mean that their overall debt burden is lower than average. This doesn't mean that the business of Macfarlane Group 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 two out of three indicators above average for Macfarlane Group. Leverage is at a rank of 71, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 71% of its competitors. Liquidity is also good at a rank of 62, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 62% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is on the safer side when it comes to debt service. But Refinancing is lower at a rank of 29, which means that the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is above-average. It has more debt in the refinancing stage than 71% of its competitors. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 60 (better than 60% compared with alternatives), Macfarlane Group has a financing structure that is safer than that of its competitors. The refinancing issues could be a short-term problem, especially if the company has reputation issues. Banks and investors don't like to refinance debt if there are clouds on the horizon. For this reason, investors should look at the refinancing environment for Macfarlane Group. Does it look safe that debt that is coming due can be covered with new debt? If that is the case, then the financing situation of the company is on the safer side. If not, it may be better to wait until refinancing has been completed and the Refinancing rank is good again. ...read more



Combined financial peformance: Macfarlane Group Below-Average Financial Performance

COMBINED PERFORMANCE May 11, 2023
VALUE
VALUE
GROWTH
GROWTH
SAFETY
SAFETY
COMBINED
COMBINED

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 44 (worse than 56% compared with investment alternatives), Macfarlane Group (Trading & Distribution, United Kingdom) shares have somewhat below-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Macfarlane Group are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Obermatt Value Rank of 75 (better than 75% of alternatives), are safely financed (Safety Rank of 60, which means low debt burdens), but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 7). ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: An Obermatt Combined Rank of 44, is a hold recommendation based on Macfarlane Group's financial characteristics. As the company Macfarlane Group's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 75) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 7) while being safely financed (Obermatt Safety Rank of 60), it may be a safer investment because companies with low debt can better withstand times of crises. The good value, better than 75% 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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