August 24, 2023
Top 10 Stock Anthem 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: Anthem – Top 10 Stock in Dow Jones U.S. Health Care Providers Index
Anthem is listed as a top 10 stock on August 24, 2023 in the market index D.J. US Health Care because of its high performance in at least one of the Obermatt investment strategies. While only half of the consolidated Obermatt Ranks exhibit above-average performance, the professional market sentiment is positive and it may be a solid investment proposition, especially if a growth recovery is to be expected soon. Based on the Obermatt 360° View of 88 (top 88% performer), Obermatt assesses an overall strong buy recommendation for Anthem on August 24, 2023.
Snapshot: Obermatt Ranks
| Country | USA |
| Industry | Health Care Managed |
| Index | Dividends USA, Employee Focus US, Diversity USA, Human Rights, Renewables Users, D.J. US Health Care, S&P 500, IDX Composite |
| 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 Anthem Strong Buy
| 360 METRICS | August 24, 2023 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 82 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 35 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 41 |
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| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 94 |
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| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | 88 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt 360° View of 88 (better than 88% compared with alternatives) for 2022, overall professional sentiment and financial characteristics for the stock Anthem are very positive. The 360° View is based on consolidating four consolidated indicators, with half the metrics below and half above average for Anthem. The consolidated Value Rank has an attractive rank of 82, which means that the share price of Anthem is on the lower side compared with the typical size in indicators such as revenues, profits, and invested capital. This means that the stock price is lower than for 82% of alternative stocks in the same industry. The consolidated Sentiment Rank has a good rank of 94, which means that professional investors are more optimistic about the stock than for 94% of alternative investment opportunities. But the consolidated Growth Rank has a low rank of 35, which means that the company exhibits below-average growth momentum when looking at financial metrics such as revenue, profit, invested capital growth, and stock returns. The consolidated Safety Rank has a riskier rank of 41, meaning the company has a riskier financing structure than 59 comparable companies when looking at the amount of its debt, its refinancing requirements, and its ability to service debt. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated 360° View of 88, Anthem is better positioned than 88% of all alternative stock investment opportunities based on the Obermatt Method. Half of the consolidated Obermatt Ranks exhibit above-average performance, but the other half are below market levels. The company enjoys a good value (Value Rank of 82) and positive market sentiment in the professional investor community (Sentiment Rank of 94), but growth expectations are below-average (Growth Rank of 35) and the financing structure is on the risky side(Safety Rank of 41). This combination is rather dangerous, because high debt levels (low safety) require growth to finance the debt burden. The current low growth level may be temporary, because professionals are actually optimistic (positive sentiment). Good value is sometimes an indication that the company's future is challenging. The below-par growth performance may be the reason for this assessment. Companies with less growth typically have a lower price than fast-growing competitors. Even though professional investor sentiment is strong, we recommend further evaluating whether the future of Anthem is as challenging as the stock's low price suggests. Since the professional community is optimistic, the stock might just be going through a more challenging phase now, indicating that timing might be good now. ...read more
Sentiment Strategy: Professional Market Sentiment for Anthem very positive
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Sentiment Rank of 94 (better than 94% compared with alternatives) for 2022, overall professional sentiment and engagement for the stock Anthem is very positive. The Sentiment Rank is based on consolidating four sentiment indicators, with all four indicators above average for Anthem. Analyst Opinions are at a rank of 73 (better than 73% of alternative investments), which means that, currently, stock research analysts tend to recommend a stock investment in the company. Analyst Opinions Change is also positive with a rank of 84, which means that stock research experts are changing their opinions for the better and recommending investing in the company. They are getting more optimistic about stock investments in Anthem. The Professional Investors rank is 84, which means that currently, professional investors hold more stock in this company than in 84% of alternative investment opportunities. Pros tend to favor investing in this company. Finally, Market Pulse has a rank of 77 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 77% of competitors). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Sentiment Rank of 94 (more positive than 94% compared with investment alternatives), Anthem has a reputation among professional investors that is significantly higher than that of its competitors. Since all market sentiment indicators are positive, the professional community highly recommends investment in the company. Does this mean Anthem stocks are a safe investment? Far from it. Even professionals make mistakes. Especially in stock investing, there is a tendency to follow the leaders. Since trees don't grow to the heavens, such positive sentiment may also be interpreted as a danger sign. A lot of optimism can often be a sign of troubles to come, albeit unforeseen by most. ...read more
Value Strategy: Anthem Stock Price Value at the top
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 82 (better than 82% compared with alternatives) for 2022, Anthem shares are significantly less expensive than comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators above average for Anthem. Price-to-Sales (P/S) is 62, which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 62% of comparable companies, indicating a good value concerning Anthem's revenue size. The same is valid for expected Price-to-Profits (or Price / Earnings, P/E), more favorable than for 70% of alternatives. It is also positive for expected dividend yields with a Dividend Yield rank of 78 (dividends are expected to be higher than 78% of other stocks). But, compared with other companies in the same industry, the Price-to-Book Capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) is higher than average, making the stock more expensive. Only 66% of all competitors have an even higher price compared with book capital which puts the Price-to-Capital Rank for Anthem to 34. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 82, is a buy recommendation based on Anthem's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. A low level of book capital means that the company has a business that is leaner in assets than its competitors. For instance, the company could be leasing its production facilities or be more focussed on intellectual property, such as its brand and software, which is less visible in its book capital. If that is the case, the three good value ranks for Sales, Profits, and Dividends are reliable indicators for the stock price value. ...read more
Growth Strategy: Anthem Growth Momentum low
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 35 (better than 35% compared with alternatives), Anthem 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 three out of four metrics below average for Anthem. While Profit Growth has a good rank of 51, as professionals currently expect the company to grow its profits more than 51% of its competitors, all other growth indicators are below market averages. Sales Growth has a rank of 22, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow less than 78% of its competitors, while Capital Growth has a rank of 38 and Stock Returns have been below market median, with a rank of 49 (51% of alternative investments were better). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 35, is a hold recommendation for growth and momentum investors. While revenue growth and capital growth are good growth momentum indicators, profit is less reliable, because profits may increase due to cost-cutting measures which typically indicate negative growth momentum. "You can save a dollar only once" is the saying about such situations. Growth Investors should look at company priorities closely if they are interested in growth, because the increase in profits is not usually an indicator of growth, and stock prices have been below market, too. ...read more
Safety Strategy: Anthem Debt Financing Safety below-average
| SAFETY METRICS | August 24, 2023 | |||||||
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| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 52 |
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| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 64 |
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| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 70 |
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| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 41 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 41 (better than 41% compared with alternatives), the company Anthem 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 Anthem 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, where all three are above average for Anthem. Leverage is at 52, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 52% 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 70, which means that the company generates more profit to service its debt than 70% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 41 (worse than 59% compared with alternatives), Anthem has a financing structure that is riskier 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: Anthem Top Financial Performance
| COMBINED PERFORMANCE | August 24, 2023 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 82 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 35 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 70 |
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| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 96 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 96 (better than 96% compared with investment alternatives), Anthem (Health Care Managed, USA) shares have much better financial characteristics than comparable stocks. Shares of Anthem are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 82 (better than 82% of alternatives) but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 35), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 41), which means above-average debt burdens. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 96, is a strong buy recommendation based on Anthem's financial characteristics. As the company Anthem's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 82) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 35) and risky financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 41), it may be a risky investment, because debt in times of crises can make things worse. The good value, better than 82% of comparable companies, may indicate 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. ...read more
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