October 26, 2023
Top 10 Stock Otter Tail 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: Otter Tail – Top 10 Stock in Nasdaq Composite Index
Otter Tail is listed as a top 10 stock on October 26, 2023 in the market index NASDAQ 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 9 (9% performer), Obermatt issues an overall sell recommendation for Otter Tail on October 26, 2023.
Snapshot: Obermatt Ranks
| Country | USA |
| Industry | Electric Utilities |
| Index | Low Emissions, NASDAQ |
| 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 Otter Tail Sell
| 360 METRICS | October 26, 2023 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 5 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 11 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 100 |
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| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 37 |
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| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | 9 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt 360° View of 9 (better than 9% compared with alternatives), overall professional sentiment and financial characteristics for the stock Otter Tail are critical, mostly below average. The 360° View is based on consolidating four consolidated indicators, with three out of four metrics below average for Otter Tail. The only rank that is above average is the consolidated Safety Rank at 100, which means that the company has a financing structure that is safer than those of 100% 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 5, which means that the share price of Otter Tail 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 11, 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 37, which means that professional investors are more pessimistic about the stock than for 63% 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 9, Otter Tail is worse than 91% of all alternative stock investment opportunities based on the Obermatt Method. This means that Otter Tail 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 37. The negative market view on Otter Tail 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 Otter Tail only reserved
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Sentiment Rank of 37 (better than 37% compared with alternatives), overall professional sentiment and engagement for the stock Otter Tail is below industry average. The Sentiment Rank is based on consolidating four sentiment indicators, with half of the metrics below and half above average for Otter Tail. Analyst Opinions are at a rank of 2 (worse than 98% 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 98, which means that stock research experts are more positive in their investment recommendations in the company. In other words, they are getting more optimistic of stock investments in Otter Tail. More encouragingly, the Professional Investors rank is 63, which means that professional investors hold more stock in this company than in 63% of alternative investment opportunities. Pros tend to favor investing in this company. But Market Pulse is on the lower side with a rank of 34, 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 66% of competitors). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Sentiment Rank of 37 (less encouraging than 63% compared with investment alternatives), Otter Tail has a reputation among professional investors that is below that of its competitors. The sentiment signals are mixed for Otter Tail. While analysts and the news channels are negative, there is a change in what analysts think. Above-average institutional investors in this company support them. Sentiment signals remain mixed with analysts and news channels pessimistic, though improving, and professional investors above average. ...read more
Value Strategy: Otter Tail Stock Price Value low
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 5 (worse than 95% compared with alternatives), Otter Tail shares are significantly more expensive than comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with all four indicators below average for Otter Tail. Price-to-Sales is 22 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than 78% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning Otter Tail's sales levels. Price-to-Book Capital (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) also has a low Price-to-Book Rank of 11, which means that both reliable company size indicators, sales, and invested capital cannot explain the high stock price of Otter Tail. In addition, the two profit-related value indicators, Price-to-Profit (also referred to as price-earnings, P/E) with a low rank of 22 and Dividend Yield, which is lower than 87% of comparable companies, also make the stock more expensive compared with investment alternatives. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 5, is a sell recommendation based on Otter Tail's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. How can market participants pay such a high price for Otter Tail? One reason may be that the company is simply too popular. If enough people want a particular stock, its price can exceed reasonable levels. This is often the case for companies offering new and exciting products and everybody wants a piece of the action. Should you pay a lot for a hot stock such as Otter Tail? It's risky, and even if the stock price continues to grow because of popular demand, it may return to more typical lower levels later. And that return can be sudden and quick, making it impossible for retail investors to exit on time. Sometimes, high prices are deserved. This is the case when it is justified to believe that the company will dominate a market with high profit margins. It has happened in the past for many technology companies and indeed for commercially successful pharmaceutical discoveries. Sometimes they last, sometimes, they get eaten alive. Otter Tail may be such a type of stock. That would mean, retail investors should be careful, only considering investing a small part of their wealth in this exciting category and always being ready to lose more than half, if not all of the investment. ...read more
Growth Strategy: Otter Tail Growth Momentum negative
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 11 (better than 11% compared with alternatives), Otter Tail 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 three out of four indicators below average for Otter Tail. Sales Growth has a below market rank of 10, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow less than 90% of its competitors. The same is valid for Capital Growth, with a rank of 33, and Profit Growth, with a rank of 6. Currently, professionals expect the company to grow its profits less than 94% of its competitors). Only shareholders are optimistic. Stock Returns are above average at a rank of 89, which means that the stock returns have recently been above 89% of alternative investments. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 11, is a sell recommendation for growth and momentum investors. That picture may be the result for a company that has reached the bottom. All went south for Otter Tail, and it still looks bad, but some investors already see light at the end of the tunnel, rewarding the stock with recent above-market stock returns. It could also mean that investors are correcting an overreaction to negative news. If that were the case, the positive stock returns are not yet a sign of recovery. Investors should look closely at the Value and Sentiment indicators before they make a stock purchasing decision, because growth is unlikely to be the driving argument behind this investment. ...read more
Safety Strategy: Otter Tail Debt Financing Safety very solid
| SAFETY METRICS | October 26, 2023 | |||||||
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| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 96 |
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| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 91 |
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| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 97 |
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| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 100 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 100 (better than 100% compared with alternatives) for 2023, the company Otter Tail has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of Otter Tail 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 Otter Tail. Leverage is at 96, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 96% of its competitors. Refinancing is at a rank of 91, meaning that the portion of the debt about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 91% of its competitors. Finally, Liquidity is also good at a rank of 97, which means that the company generates more profit to service its debt than 97% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 100 (better than 100% compared with alternatives), Otter Tail 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: Otter Tail Lowest Financial Performance
| COMBINED PERFORMANCE | October 26, 2023 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 5 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 11 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 97 |
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| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 13 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 13 (worse than 87% compared with investment alternatives), Otter Tail (Electric Utilities, USA) shares have lower financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Otter Tail are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 5 (worse than 95% of alternatives) and show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 11) but are safely financed (Safety Rank of 100), which means low debt burdens. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 13, is a sell recommendation based on Otter Tail's financial characteristics. As the company Otter Tail's critical financial metrics exhibit below-average performance, such as low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 5) and low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 11), 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 100) 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
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