In the dynamic landscape of stock investing, identifying value opportunities is often akin to discovering hidden gems. With market volatility heating up, investors are on the lookout for value stocks that offer strong fundamentals at a discounted price. In this analysis, we explore three such value stocks: Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO), AT&T Inc. (T), and Lear Corporation (LEA).
Despite varied industries and market positions, these companies share a common allure: they are all buy-rated dividend stocks trading at a discount. With favorable price-to-earnings ratios and stock prices below analysts’ mean price targets, these value stocks present compelling opportunities for investors looking to capitalize on undervalued assets.
Let's explore why these stocks warrant attention and consideration in today's investment landscape.
1. Cisco Systems
Headquartered in California, Cisco Systems (CSCO) offers information technology and networking services. Valued at about $189 billion, the company provides enterprise network security, software development, data collaboration, cloud computing, and other related services.
Shares of Cisco are down 7.3% on a year-to-date basis, underperforming the S&P 500 Index’s ($SPX) gain of more than 5% during the same time frame.
On April 15, BofA Securities upgraded Cisco to “Buy” from “Neutral” with a price target of $60, up from $55. BofA analysts identifies three catalysts for accelerating growth: networking is expected to normalize and experience renewed growth through share gains; security growth is anticipated to accelerate with firewall stabilization and new product launches; and growth synergies are expected from the Splunk acquisition.
On March 18, Cisco announced the completion of its acquisition of Splunk, shortly after the $28 billion deal received approval from the European Commission.
Cisco released its most recent quarterly earnings report on Feb. 14. In FQ2, the company’s revenue fell -5.9% year-over-year to $12.8 billion, yet surpassed the Wall Street consensus by $100 million. The decline in revenue was primarily attributed to a 9% year-over-year decrease in product revenue, partially mitigated by a 4% year-over-year increase in service revenue. Also, CSCO’s second-quarter EPS was reported at $0.87, beating consensus by $0.03.
However, Cisco’s shares tumbled after the networking and software giant issued weaker-than-expected Q3 guidance and lowered its full-year forecast. It also announced a 5% workforce reduction as part of a restructuring plan.
Analysts tracking Cisco anticipate a 6.11% year-over-year decline in revenue to $53.52 billion in fiscal 2024, followed by a 5.29% year-over-year increase to $56.35 billion in fiscal 2025. Earnings are forecast to decline by 8.48% year-over-year to $3.13 in fiscal 2024 and to decrease by 0.96% year-over-year to $3.10 in fiscal 2025.
The company is expected to release its FQ3 earnings results on Wednesday, May 15, after the market closes.
In terms of valuation, the stock trades at a 2024 price-to-earnings multiple of 12.93x, slightly under its five-year average of 14.41x, and notably lower than the sector median of 23.19x.
On the dividend side, CSCO offers an annualized dividend of $1.60 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 3.41%. Also, the company maintains a modest dividend payout ratio of 37.86% and showcases 12 consecutive years of dividend growth, alongside a 5-year dividend CAGR of 3.22%.
Cisco stock has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating. Out of the 24 analysts offering recommendations, five suggest a “Strong Buy,” two advise a “Moderate Buy” rating, 16 recommend a “Hold,” and one gives a “Strong Sell” rating. The average analyst price target of $54.16 indicates a potential upside of 12.8% from the current price levels.
2. AT&T
Texas-based AT&T (T) operates as a communications holding company. With a market cap of $121 billion, the company, via its subsidiaries and affiliates, offers local and long-distance phone, wireless and data communications, Internet access and messaging, IP-based and satellite television, telecommunications equipment, and directory advertising and publishing services.
Shares of AT&T have risen by about 0.8% on a year-to-date basis, trailing behind the S&P 500 Index.
On April 24, AT&T reported results for the first quarter of 2024. First-quarter adjusted EPS declined -8.3% year-over-year to $0.55, surpassing analysts’ projections of $0.53. AT&T’s revenue declined by -0.4% year-over-year to $30 billion in Q1, falling short of the consensus estimate of $30.53 billion. The company highlighted declines in mobility equipment revenues, primarily attributed to reduced sales volumes, and decreased business wireline revenues. However, these were largely balanced out by increased service revenues, fueled by mobility, consumer wireline, and Mexico.
The company announced the addition of 349,000 net monthly bill-paying wireless phone subscribers, greatly exceeding analyst expectations of 286,800. Meanwhile, AT&T recorded $131.3 billion in net financial debt on its balance sheet as of the end of March, with the telecom company reducing its net debt by approximately $6.0 billion year-over-year.
Looking ahead, for fiscal 2024, AT&T reaffirmed its guidance of adjusted EPS within the range of $2.15 to $2.25. Wall Street anticipates that AT&T’s revenue will remain largely unchanged year-over-year at $122.82 billion in fiscal 2024, while adjusted earnings are projected to decline by -7.88% year-over-year to $2.22 per share.
On April 29, Barclays analyst Kannan Venkateshwar upgraded AT&T to “Overweight” from “Equal Weight” with an unchanged price target of $20. The analyst says that the Q1 results underscore the structural shift towards cable and telecom convergence, which could be advantageous for telecom in the short term “but may not end well for either industry in the long run.” The firm upgraded AT&T due to the “mismatch between valuation and improvements in growth quality and execution.”
In terms of valuation, the stock is presently trading at 7.69x forward earnings, which is lower than both its five-year average of 8.28x and the sector median of 13.48x.
AT&T currently offers an appealing 6.52% yield, exceeding the sector’s median of 3.98%.
The telecom stock has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating. Out of the 19 analysts covering T stock, 10 recommend a “Strong Buy,” one advises a “Moderate Buy” rating, and 8 recommend a “Hold.” The average analyst price target for the stock is $21.09, indicating a potential upside of 24.6% from current price levels.
3. Lear Corporation
Valued at a market cap of about $7 billion, Lear Corporation (LEA) manufactures automobile parts, including seating systems, wiring harnesses, terminals, connectors, junction boxes, body control electronics, wireless products, and audio systems.
Shares of Lear Corporation have fallen by 11.9% on a year-to-date basis, considerably lagging behind the SPX’s gain.
On April 22, JPMorgan raised its price target on Lear Corporation to $179 from $177.
On April 29, Lear Corporation announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire WIP Industrial Automation, a privately held systems integrator based in Spain, specializing in advanced automation solutions for industrial applications. The transaction is expected to close by the third quarter of 2024.
Lear Corporation reported its financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2024 on April 30. The company reported record first-quarter revenue of $6 billion, marking a 3% year-over-year increase, in line with expectations. Also, adjusted earnings per share increased by 14% year-over-year to $3.18, exceeding analysts’ projections by $0.11, fueled by stronger operations and the company’s share repurchasing program. In the quarter, Lear bought back $30 million worth of shares and paid $46 million in dividends.
CEO Ray Scott stated that Lear is strategically addressing one of its major challenges: labor. The company has closed European plants and moved labor to North Africa to lower wage costs.
The company reiterated its full-year outlook. It sees net sales between $24 billion to $24.6 billion and core operating earnings between $1.15 billion and $1.3 billion. Analysts tracking Lear anticipate the company’s profit to reach $14.51 per share in fiscal 2024, marking a 20.72% year-over-year increase, with revenue projected to grow by 4.10% year-over-year to $24.43 billion.
In terms of valuation, the stock is currently trading at a 2024 price-to-earnings multiple of 8.74x, significantly lower than its five-year average of 15.93x and notably below the sector median of 14.95x.
LEA currently offers an attractive 2.45% yield, slightly surpassing the sector’s median of 2.27%.
Lear stock has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating from analysts. Out of the 14 analysts covering LEA stock, eight recommend “strong buy,” and six recommend “hold.” The mean target price for LEA stock is $166.00, suggesting around 34% upside potential.
