(By Rich Bieglmeier) We have already tackled the
emerging bull list, so let's move onto the mature bulls from our
sector performance scorecard.
One small caveat, iStock tossed out biotech stocks as they are creatures unto themselves. We will cover them in a subsequent article(s).
Of course, we stuck to our normal routine of examining the stock charts for the qualifying companies and then evaluating the fundamentals of the stocks iStock believes are positioned to move higher.
Four companies are worthy of consideration.
Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (
AWI)
Global Payments Inc. (
GPN)
Gibraltar Industries, Inc. (
ROCK)
Watts Water Technologies, Inc. (
WTS)
We will try to steal one with Gibraltar Industries, Inc. (
ROCK). Gibraltar Industries is a leading manufacturer and distributor of building products, focused on residential and nonresidential repair and remodeling, as well as construction of industrial facilities and public infrastructure. The small-cap company generates more than 80% of its sales from products that hold the #1 or #2 positions in their markets.
The view from the front is always the best, ask any goose.
One of iStock's favorite metrics is a discounted growth to P/E ratio.
ROCK trades for 10.56 times 2013's projected earnings, while Wall Street expects the bottom line to increase by more than 40%. That's a 75% markdown from what they teach is acceptable at some of the finest b-schools. Most Wall Street types are OK with a 1:1 ratio.
If Gibraltar trades at the industry P/E of 15.42, and earns the $1.04 the Street is forecasting, then the stock would trade at $16.03; a potential gain of 46% from today's price.
We like ROCK's stock chart, too. Its stock price topped the 50-day moving average following a May through June swoon. If the price can stay on the good side of the key benchmark of $10.90, it stands a decent chance of rising to its 200-day average of $12.73.
On the downside, a close below $9.50 is about as low as iStock would be willing to go.
Overall, we believe Gibraltar Industries, Inc. (ROCK) offers an attractive mix of fundamental and technical traits. At the same time, the company is nestled squarely in a sector that iStock feels could outperform in the days and weeks ahead.