The following are today's upgrades for Validea's P/E/Growth Investor model based on the published strategy of Peter Lynch. This strategy looks for stocks trading at a reasonable price relative to earnings growth that also possess strong balance sheets.
ERIE INDEMNITY CO (ERIE) is a large-cap growth stock in the Insurance (Prop. & Casualty) industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 56% to 74% 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: Erie Indemnity Company serves as the attorney-in-fact for the subscribers at the Erie Insurance Exchange (Exchange). The Exchange is a reciprocal insurer that writes property and casualty insurance. The Exchange has wholly owned property and casualty subsidiaries, including Erie Insurance Company, Erie Insurance Company of New York, Erie Insurance Property & Casualty Company, and Flagship City Insurance Company. The Exchange also has a wholly owned life insurance company, Erie Family Life Insurance Company (EFL). Its primary function as attorney-in-fact is to perform policy issuance and renewal services on behalf of the subscribers at the Exchange. It also acts as attorney-in-fact on behalf of the subscribers at the Exchange with respect to all claims handling and investment management services, as well as the service provider for all claims handling, life insurance and investment management services for the Exchange's insurance subsidiaries (collectively, administrative services).
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.
| P/E/GROWTH RATIO: | FAIL |
| SALES AND P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| EPS GROWTH RATE: | PASS |
| TOTAL DEBT/EQUITY RATIO: | NEUTRAL |
| EQUITY/ASSETS RATIO: | PASS |
| RETURN ON ASSETS: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | NEUTRAL |
| NET CASH POSITION: | NEUTRAL |
Detailed Analysis of ERIE INDEMNITY CO
CADENCE BANK (CADE) is a mid-cap value stock in the Money Center Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 81% to 91% 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: Cadence Bank (the Bank) is a regional banking franchise with approximately 350 branch locations across the South and Texas. The Bank provides consumers, businesses, and corporations with a range of banking and financial solutions. The Bank's services and products include consumer banking, consumer loans, mortgages, home equity lines and loans, credit cards, commercial and business banking, treasury management, specialized lending, asset-based lending, commercial real estate, equipment financing, correspondent banking, small business administration (SBA) lending, foreign exchange, wealth management, investment and trust services, financial planning, retirement plan management. The BankGs personal banking services include checking, savings and certificates of deposit, credit cards, online and mobile banking, mortgages, and wealth management. The Bank offers various business banking services, including business loans and lines of credit, and cash management and merchant services.
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.
| YIELD ADJUSTED P/E TO GROWTH (PEG) RATIO: | PASS |
| EARNINGS PER SHARE: | PASS |
| TOTAL DEBT/EQUITY RATIO: | NEUTRAL |
| EQUITY/ASSETS RATIO: | PASS |
| RETURN ON ASSETS: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | NEUTRAL |
| NET CASH POSITION: | NEUTRAL |
Detailed Analysis of CADENCE BANK
About Peter Lynch: Perhaps the greatest mutual fund manager of all-time, Lynch guided Fidelity Investment's Magellan Fund to a 29.2 percent average annual return from 1977 until his retirement in 1990, almost doubling the S&P 500's 15.8 percent yearly return over that time. Lynch's common sense approach and quick wit made him one of the most quoted investors on Wall Street. ("Go for a business that any idiot can run -- because sooner or later, any idiot probably is going to run it," is one of his many pearls of wisdom.) Lynch's bestseller One Up on Wall Street is something of a "stocks for the everyman/everywoman", breaking his approach down into easy-to-understand concepts.
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.
