2023-04-28
The following are the top rated Financial 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.
WESTERN ALLIANCE BANCORPORATION (WAL) is a mid-cap value stock in the Money Center Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Benjamin Graham is 57% 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: Western Alliance Bancorporation is a bank holding company. The Company provides a full spectrum of customized loan, deposit and treasury management capabilities, including / funds transfer and other digital payment offerings through its wholly owned banking subsidiary, Western Alliance Bank (WAB). WAB operates through five full-service banking divisions: Alliance Bank of Arizona (ABA), Bank of Nevada (BON), Bridge Bank (Bridge), First Independent Bank (FIB), and Torrey Pines Bank (TPB). The Company also provides a range of specialized financial services to business customers across the country, including mortgage banking services through AmeriHome and digital payment services for the class action legal industry. In addition, the Company has two non-bank subsidiaries, CS Insurance Company (CSI) and Western Alliance Trust Company, N.A. (WATC). CSI is a captive insurance company. WATC provides corporate trust services and levered loan administration solutions.
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: | FAIL |
| SALES: | PASS |
| CURRENT RATIO: | FAIL |
| LONG-TERM DEBT IN RELATION TO NET CURRENT ASSETS: | FAIL |
| LONG-TERM EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| PRICE/BOOK RATIO: | PASS |
Detailed Analysis of WESTERN ALLIANCE BANCORPORATION
STATE STREET CORP (STT) is a large-cap value stock in the Misc. Financial Services industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Benjamin Graham is 57% 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: State Street Corporation is a financial holding company. The Company, through its subsidiary, State Street Bank and Trust Company (State Street Bank), provides a range of financial products and services to institutional investors. It operates through two lines of business: Investment Servicing and Investment Management. Its Investment Servicing, through State Street Investment Services, State Street Global Markets, and State Street Alpha, provides investment services for clients, including mutual funds, collective investment funds and other investment pools. Its products include back-office products, such as custody, accounting, regulatory reporting, and investor services. Its Investment Management line of business, through State Street Global Advisors, provides a range of investment management strategies and products for its clients. It offers a breadth of services and solutions, including ESG investing, defined benefit and defined contribution products and Global Fiduciary Solutions.
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: | FAIL |
| SALES: | PASS |
| CURRENT RATIO: | FAIL |
| LONG-TERM DEBT IN RELATION TO NET CURRENT ASSETS: | FAIL |
| LONG-TERM EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| PRICE/BOOK RATIO: | PASS |
Detailed Analysis of STATE STREET CORP
MOODY’S CORP (MCO) is a large-cap growth stock in the Business Services industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Benjamin Graham is 43% 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: Moody’s Corporation is a global integrated risk assessment company. The Company operates through two segments: Moody’s Investors Service (MIS), and Moody’s Analytics (MA). The MIS segment publishes credit ratings and provides assessment services on a range of debt obligations, programs and facilities, and the entities that issue such obligations in markets worldwide, including various corporate, financial institution and governmental obligations, and structured finance securities. The MIS segment consists of five lines of business, which include corporate finance group; structured finance group; financial institutions group; public, project and infrastructure finance, and MIS Other. The MA segment develops a range of products and services that support the risk management activities of institutional participants in global financial markets. The MA segment consists of three lines of business, such as decision solutions, research and insights, and data and information.
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: | FAIL |
| LONG-TERM DEBT IN RELATION TO NET CURRENT ASSETS: | FAIL |
| LONG-TERM EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| P/E RATIO: | FAIL |
| PRICE/BOOK RATIO: | FAIL |
PRA GROUP INC (PRAA) is a small-cap value stock in the Business Services industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Benjamin Graham is 43% 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: PRA Group, Inc. is a financial and business services company with operations in the Americas, Europe and Australia. The Company’s primary business is the purchase, collection and management of portfolios of nonperforming loans. The Company purchase portfolios of nonperforming loans at a discount in two categories: Core and Insolvency. Its Core operation specializes in purchasing and collecting nonperforming loans, which it purchases since either the credit originator and/or other third-party collection agencies have been unsuccessful in collecting the full balance owed. Its Insolvency operation consists primarily of purchasing and collecting on nonperforming loan accounts where the customer is involved in a bankruptcy proceeding or the equivalent in some European countries. It also provides fee-based services on class action claims recoveries and by servicing consumer bankruptcy accounts in the United States.
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: | FAIL |
| CURRENT RATIO: | FAIL |
| LONG-TERM DEBT IN RELATION TO NET CURRENT ASSETS: | FAIL |
| LONG-TERM EPS GROWTH: | FAIL |
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| PRICE/BOOK RATIO: | PASS |
SEACOAST BANKING CORPORATION OF FLORIDA (SBCF) is a small-cap value stock in the Money Center Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Benjamin Graham is 43% 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: Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida is a financial holding company. The Company’s principal subsidiary is Seacoast National Bank (Seacoast Bank), a wholly owned national banking association. It provides integrated financial services, including commercial and consumer banking, wealth management and mortgage services to customers through online and mobile banking solutions and Seacoast Bank’s network consists of over 75 traditional branches and commercial banking centers. Its loans held for investment are categorized as construction and land development, commercial real estate-owner-occupied, commercial real estate-non-owner-occupied, residential real estate, commercial and financial, and consumer and paycheck protection program. Its offices stretch from the southeast, including Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and Palm Beach, north along the east coast to the Daytona area, into Orlando and Central Florida and the adjacent Tampa market, and west to Okeechobee and surrounding counties.
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: | FAIL |
| SALES: | FAIL |
| CURRENT RATIO: | FAIL |
| LONG-TERM DEBT IN RELATION TO NET CURRENT ASSETS: | FAIL |
| LONG-TERM EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| PRICE/BOOK RATIO: | PASS |