February 1, 2024
Top 10 Stock National Grid 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: National Grid – Top 10 Stock in FTSE 100 Index
National Grid is listed as a top 10 stock on February 01, 2024 in the market index FTSE 100 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. Based on the Obermatt 360° View of 80 (top 80% performer), Obermatt assesses an overall strong buy recommendation for National Grid on February 01, 2024.
Snapshot: Obermatt Ranks
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Industry | Multi-Utilities |
| Index | FTSE All Shares, FTSE 100, FTSE 350, Employee Focus EU, Energy Efficient, Diversity Europe, Low Waste, Recycling |
| 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 National Grid Strong Buy
| 360 METRICS | February 1, 2024 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 54 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 77 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 39 |
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| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 92 |
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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 2024, overall professional sentiment and financial characteristics for the stock National Grid are very positive. The 360° View is based on consolidating four consolidated indicators, with all but one indicator above average for National Grid. The consolidated Value Rank has an attractive rank of 54, which means that the share price of National Grid is on the lower side compared with the typical size in indicators such as revenues, profits, and invested capital. This means the stock price is lower than for 54% of alternative stocks in the same industry. The consolidated Growth Rank has a good rank of 77, which means that the company experiences above-average growth momentum when looking at financial metrics such as revenue, profit, and invested capital growth, as well as stock returns. In addition, professional market sentiment is above average compared with other stock investment alternatives with a Sentiment Rank of 92. But the company’s financing is risky with a Safety rank of 39. This means 61% of comparable companies have a safer financing structure than National Grid. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated 360° View of 80, National Grid is better positioned than 80% of all alternative stock investment opportunities based on the Obermatt Method. As three out of four consolidated Obermatt Ranks exhibit excellent performance, such as good value (Value Rank of 54), above-average growth (Growth Rank of 77), and positive market sentiment in the professional investor community (Sentiment Rank of 92), it is a solid stock investment where the risk of paying too much for the shares is limited, and disappointments are less likely, unless information not publicly available. Only the company financing structure is on the riskier side (Safety Rank of 39), but that would also mean better returns for shareholders if things work out well. Good value is sometimes an indication that the company's future is challenging. If they have been growing above average and are still a good value, it may indicate that this will not continue. We recommend evaluating whether the future of National Grid is as difficult as the low price of the stock, despite good growth and positive professional investor sentiment, suggests. Since the professional community is optimistic, you might have less to worry about, and the stock is just not sufficiently visible right now, which may indicate good timing. ...read more
Sentiment Strategy: Professional Market Sentiment for National Grid very positive
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Sentiment Rank of 92 (better than 92% compared with alternatives) for 2024, overall professional sentiment and engagement for the stock National Grid is very positive. The Sentiment Rank is based on consolidating four sentiment indicators, with all but one indicator above average for National Grid. Analyst Opinions are at a rank of 47 (worse than 53% 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 58, which indicates a shift in stock research experts opinions for the better. In other words, they are getting more optimistic about stock investments in National Grid. Even better, the Professional Investors rank is 96, meaning that professional investors hold more stock in this company than in 96% of alternative investment opportunities. Pros tend to favor investing in this company. Furthermore, Market Pulse has a rank of 51, which means that the current professional news and professional social networks are upbeat when discussing this company (more positive news than for 51% of competitors). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Sentiment Rank of 92 (more positive than 92% compared with investment alternatives), National Grid has a reputation among professional investors that is significantly higher than that of its competitors. While analysts are still critical of the company, some are changing their minds. In addition, the professional news channels are optimistic, and many institutional investors have already bought stock in the company. These are encouraging signals, despite the still lower level of analyst recommendations. They may be due to a problematic past, and about to change. The positive sentiment signals are stronger than the negative. ...read more
Value Strategy: National Grid Stock Price Value better than average
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 54 (better than 54% compared with alternatives), National Grid shares are more attractively priced than the majority of comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with half of the indicators below and half above average for National Grid. Expected dividend yields are higher than for 72% of comparable companies (a Dividend Yield rank of 72), making the stock attractive. The same is valid for Price-to-Book Capital (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Book Rank of 64, which means that the stock price is lower compared with invested capital than for 64% of comparable investments. But in respect to sales and profits, the picture is reversed. Price-to-Sales is 36 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than for 64% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning National Grid's sales levels. The Price-to-Profit ratio (also referred to as price-earnings (P/E) ratio) is also unfavorable for National Grid with a rank of 39. This means that the stock price, compared with what market professionals expect for future profits, is higher than for 61% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning National Grid's profit levels. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 54, is a buy recommendation based on National Grid's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. The company seems confident that it can generate a reasonable return on invested capital, because it pays an above-average dividend while profits are below what you would expect for a company with this stock price. If you agree with this practice and believe that profits will return to higher levels, as the current dividend policy suggests, National Grid may be an attractive investment. If this is not the case, you may want to be careful with this stock as it is also expensive compared with its expected revenue levels. ...read more
Growth Strategy: National Grid Growth Momentum high
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 77 (better than 77% compared with alternatives) for 2024, National Grid shows one of the highest growth dynamics in its industry. Investors also speak of high momentum. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with all four indicators above average for National Grid. Sales Growth has a value of 64, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow more than 64% of its competitors. The same is valid for Profit Growth with a value of 56 and for Capital Growth with 56. In addition, Stock Returns had an above-average rank value of 65, which means they have been higher than 65% of comparable investments. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 77, is a buy recommendation for growth and momentum investors. Since all Growth Ranks are positive, National Grid exhibits above-average growth momentum. This could be due to a uniquely strong market position, proprietary technology, or an extensive corporate acquisition strategy. Growth investors will find this an attractive investment opportunity, unless they expect that the current phase is transitory and will deteriorate in the future. The current performance could also be a temporary recovery from a very low point, such as a turn-around situation. In the case of a turn-around, the current performance may or may not be followed by a continuing positive development. ...read more
Safety Strategy: National Grid Debt Financing Safety below-average
| SAFETY METRICS | February 1, 2024 | |||||||
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| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 50 |
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| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 37 |
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| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 35 |
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| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 39 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 39 (better than 39% compared with alternatives), the company National Grid 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 National Grid 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 National Grid and the other two below average. Leverage is at a rank of 50 meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 50% of its competitors.Refinancing is at a rank of 37, which means that the portion of the debt about to be refinanced is above-average. It has more debt in the refinancing stage than 63% of its competitors. Liquidity is at a rank of 35, meaning that the company generates less profit to service its debt than 65% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 39 (worse than 61% compared with alternatives), National Grid has a financing structure that is riskier than that of its competitors. This is an indication that the company is on the riskier side when it comes to debt service. There is only below-market average liquidity, and a short-term refinancing issue might be around the corner. But in the long-term, the debt levels of National Grid are on the safer side. ...read more
Combined financial peformance: National Grid Above-Average Financial Performance
| COMBINED PERFORMANCE | February 1, 2024 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 54 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 77 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 35 |
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| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 67 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 67 (better than 67% compared with investment alternatives), National Grid (Multi-Utilities, United Kingdom) shares have above-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of National Grid are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 54 (better than 54% of alternatives), show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 77) but are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 39), which means above-average debt burdens. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 67, is a buy recommendation based on National Grid's financial characteristics. As the company National Grid's key financial metrics exhibit excellent performance in two areas, such as good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 54) and above-average growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 77), it could be argued that the risk-taking in financing (Obermatt Safety Rank of only 39) indicates that the company is optimistic about the future and sees debt as an opportunity to boost returns. More debt means more shareholder returns if everything goes well. However, higher debt burdens are risky when interest rates rise or the business deteriorates in a crisis. If you believe the company's future is market-typical or even better, this could be an argument for a share purchase. ...read more
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