The following are the top rated Basic Materials stocks according to Validea's Value Investor model based on the published strategy of Benjamin Graham. This deep value methodology screens for stocks that have low P/B and P/E ratios, along with low debt and solid long-term earnings growth.
POSCO HOLDINGS INC (ADR) (PKX) is a large-cap value stock in the Iron & Steel industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Benjamin Graham is 100% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Posco Holdings Inc, formerly Posco, is a Korea-based company principally engaged in the manufacture and distribution of steel products. The Company operates its business through four segments. The Steel segment produces and sells steel products such as hot rolled steel, cold rolled steel, stainless steel, among others. The Trading segment engages in the global trade, including the export and import of steel products. The Engineering and Construction (E&C) segment plans, designs and builds industrial plants, civil engineering projects, commercial and residential buildings. The Other segment is engaged in the power plants, information and communication related services and other businesses.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
| SECTOR: | PASS |
| SALES: | PASS |
| CURRENT RATIO: | PASS |
| LONG-TERM DEBT IN RELATION TO NET CURRENT ASSETS: | PASS |
| LONG-TERM EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| PRICE/BOOK RATIO: | PASS |
Detailed Analysis of POSCO HOLDINGS INC (ADR)
ENCORE WIRE CORPORATION (WIRE) is a mid-cap value stock in the Misc. Fabricated Products industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Benjamin Graham is 100% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Encore Wire Corporation is a manufacturer of electrical building wire and cable. The Company is a supplier of building wire for interior electrical wiring in commercial and industrial buildings, homes, apartments, manufactured housing, and data centers. The Company offers an electrical building wire product line that consists primarily of NM-B cable, UF-B cable, THHN/THWN-2, XHHW-2, USE-2, RHH/RHW-2 and other types of wire products, including service entrance unarmored (SEU), service entrance cable (SER), Photovoltaic, underground residential distribution wire (URD), tray cable, metal-clad and armored cable. The Company serves various markets, such as healthcare, data center, airport expansion, military bases, oil and gas, transit, wastewater treatment, school construction, and power generation. The Company markets its products throughout the United States primarily through independent manufacturers, representatives, and through its own direct in-house marketing.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
| SECTOR: | PASS |
| SALES: | PASS |
| CURRENT RATIO: | PASS |
| LONG-TERM DEBT IN RELATION TO NET CURRENT ASSETS: | PASS |
| LONG-TERM EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| PRICE/BOOK RATIO: | PASS |
Detailed Analysis of ENCORE WIRE CORPORATION
ALTO INGREDIENTS INC (ALTO) is a small-cap value stock in the Chemical Manufacturing industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Benjamin Graham is 86% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Alto Ingredients, Inc. is a producer and marketer of specialty alcohols and essential ingredients and the producer of specialty alcohols. The Company is focused on four key markets Health, Home & Beauty, Food & Beverage, Essential Ingredients and Renewable Fuels. The Health, Home & Beauty market products include specialty alcohols used in mouthwash, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, hand sanitizers, disinfectants and cleaners. The Food & Beverage markets products include grain neutral spirits used in alcoholic beverages and vinegar as well as corn germ used for corn oils. The Essential Ingredients markets products include yeast, corn gluten and distillers grains used in commercial animal feed and pet foods. The Renewable Fuels products include fuel-grade ethanol and distillers corn oil used as a feedstock for renewable diesel fuel. The Company's segments include Marketing and Distribution, Pekin Production and Other Production.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
| SECTOR: | PASS |
| SALES: | PASS |
| CURRENT RATIO: | PASS |
| LONG-TERM DEBT IN RELATION TO NET CURRENT ASSETS: | PASS |
| LONG-TERM EPS GROWTH: | FAIL |
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| PRICE/BOOK RATIO: | PASS |
Detailed Analysis of ALTO INGREDIENTS INC
GERDAU SA (ADR) (GGB) is a mid-cap value stock in the Iron & Steel industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Benjamin Graham is 86% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Gerdau SA is a Brazil-based manufacturer of steel products. The Company is engaged in the production and commercialization of steel products in general, through its mills located in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, the United States, Mexico, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela. The Firm's product portfolio includes crude steel; finished products for the construction industry, such as rebar, wire-rods, structural shapes, hot-rolled coils and heavy plates; finished industrial products, such as commercial rolled-steel bars, light profiles and wires; agricultural products, such as stakes, smooth wire and barbed-wire; and special steel items. The Company's activities include also operations of iron ore mines located in the state of Minas Gerais.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
| SECTOR: | PASS |
| SALES: | PASS |
| CURRENT RATIO: | PASS |
| LONG-TERM DEBT IN RELATION TO NET CURRENT ASSETS: | PASS |
| LONG-TERM EPS GROWTH: | FAIL |
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| PRICE/BOOK RATIO: | PASS |
Detailed Analysis of GERDAU SA (ADR)
MUELLER INDUSTRIES, INC. (MLI) is a mid-cap value stock in the Misc. Fabricated Products industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Benjamin Graham is 86% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Mueller Industries, Inc. is a manufacturer of copper, brass, aluminum and plastic products. The Company manufacture a range of products, including copper tube and fittings; line sets; PEX plastic tube and fittings; steel nipples; brass rod, bar, and shapes; aluminum and brass forgings; aluminum impact extrusions; compressed gas valves; refrigeration valves and fittings; pressure vessels; coaxial heat exchangers; and insulated flexible duct systems. It operates in the United States and in Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, South Korea, the Middle East and China. It has three segments. The Piping Systems segment is composed of Domestic Piping Systems Group, Great Lakes Copper, Heatlink Group, European Operations, Trading Group, Jungwoo-Mueller and Mueller Middle East. The Industrial Metals segment is composed of Brass Rod, Impacts & Micro Gauge and Brass Value-Added Products. The Climate segment is composed of Refrigeration Products, Westermeyer, Turbotec, Flex Duct and Linesets, Inc.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
| SECTOR: | PASS |
| SALES: | PASS |
| CURRENT RATIO: | PASS |
| LONG-TERM DEBT IN RELATION TO NET CURRENT ASSETS: | PASS |
| LONG-TERM EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| PRICE/BOOK RATIO: | FAIL |
Detailed Analysis of MUELLER INDUSTRIES, INC.
More details on Validea's Benjamin Graham strategy
About Benjamin Graham: The late Benjamin Graham may be the oldest of the gurus we follow, but his impact on the investing world has lasted for decades after his death in 1976. Known as both the "Father of Value Investing" and the founder of the entire field of security analysis, Graham mentored several of history's greatest investors -- including Warren Buffett -- and inspired a slew of others, including John Templeton, Mario Gabelli, and another of Validea's gurus, John Neff. Graham built his fortune and reputation after living through some extremely difficult times, including both the Great Depression and his own family's financial woes following his father's death when Benjamin was a young man. His investment firm posted per annum returns of about 20 percent from 1936 to 1956, far outpacing the 12.2 percent average return for the market during that time.
About Validea: Validea is aninvestment researchservice that follows the published strategies of investment legends. Validea offers both stock analysis and model portfolios based on gurus who have outperformed the market over the long-term, including Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Peter Lynch and Martin Zweig. For more information about Validea, click here
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
