Is H&R Block (HRB) a Great Stock for Value Investors?

Value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. After all, who wouldn’t want to find stocks that are either flying under the radar and are compelling buys, or offer up tantalizing discounts when compared to fair value?

One way to find these companies is by looking at several key metrics and financial ratios, many of which are crucial in the value stock selection process. Let’s put H&R Block, Inc. HRB stock into this equation and find out if it is a good choice for value-oriented investors right now, or if investors subscribing to this methodology should look elsewhere for top picks:

PE Ratio

A key metric that value investors always look at is the Price to Earnings Ratio, or PE for short. This shows us how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings in a given stock and is easily one of the most popular financial ratios in the world. The best use of the PE ratio is to compare the stock’s current PE ratio with: a) where this ratio has been in the past; b) how it compares to the average for the industry/sector; and c) how it compares to the market as a whole.

On this front, H&R Block has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 8.9, as you can see in the chart below:

This level actually compares pretty favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 compares in at about 19.7. If we focus on the stock’s long-term PE trend, the current level puts H&R Block’s current PE ratio noticeably below its midpoint (which is 16.9) over the past five years.

Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the industry’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 18.7. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.

We should also point out that H&R Block has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of 13.9, so it is fair to expect an increase in the company’s share price in the near future.

P/S Ratio

Another key metric to note is the Price/Sales ratio. This approach compares a given stock’s price to its total sales, where a lower reading is generally considered better. Some people like this metric more than other value-focused ones because it looks at sales, something that is far harder to manipulate with accounting tricks than earnings.

Right now, H&R Block has a P/S ratio of about 1.8. This is significantly lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.4 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is somewhat below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.

If anything, this suggests some level of undervalued trading—at least compared to historical norms.   

Broad Value Outlook

In aggregate, H&R Block currently has a Value Style Score of A, putting it into the top 20% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes HRB a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.

For example, the P/CF ratio (another great indicator of value) comes in at 6.8, which is noticeably better than the industry average of 15.5. Clearly, HRB is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.

What About the Stock Overall?

Though H&R Block might be a good choice for value investors, there are plenty of other factors to consider before investing in this name. In particular, it is worth noting that the company has a Growth grade of A and a Momentum score of F. This gives HRB a VGM score—or its overarching fundamental grade—of A. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)

Both the current quarter as well as the full year consensus estimates have not witnessed any estimate revisions in the past two months. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:

H&R Block, Inc. Price and Consensus

 

H&R Block, Inc. Price and Consensus | H&R Block, Inc. Quote

This is why the stock has just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and why we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.

Bottom Line

H&R Block is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. Moreover, a good industry rank (top 46% out of more than 250 industries) further supports the growth potential of the stock. However, with a Zacks Rank #3, it is hard to get too excited about this company overall. In fact, over the past one year, the sector has clearly underperformed the broader market, as you can see below:

So, value investors might want to wait for estimates, analyst sentiment and industry trends to turn favorable in this name first, but once that happens, this stock could be a compelling pick.

The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All

Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.

See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >>  

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
H&R Block, Inc. (HRB) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research