Northwest Pipe Company (NWPX) Hit a 52 Week High, Can the Run Continue?

Have you been paying attention to shares of Northwest Pipe Co. (NWPX)? Shares have been on the move with the stock up 5.6% over the past month. The stock hit a new 52-week high of $57.76 in the previous session. Northwest Pipe Co. has gained 84% since the start of the year compared to the 21% move for the Zacks Industrial Products sector and the 41.3% return for the Zacks Metal Products - Procurement and Fabrication industry.What's Driving the Outperformance?The stock has a great record of positive earnings surprises, as it hasn't missed our earnings consensus estimate in any of the last four quarters. In its last earnings report on October 30, 2024, Northwest Pipe Co. reported EPS of $1.02 versus consensus estimate of $0.85 while it beat the consensus revenue estimate by 2.68%.For the current fiscal year, Northwest Pipe Co. is expected to post earnings of $3.31 per share on $491.59 million in revenues. This represents a 58.37% change in EPS on a 10.63% change in revenues. For the next fiscal year, the company is expected to earn $3.49 per share on $495.79 million in revenues. This represents a year-over-year change of 5.34% and 0.86%, respectively.Valuation MetricsNorthwest Pipe Co. may be at a 52-week high right now, but what might the future hold for the stock? A key aspect of this question is taking a look at valuation metrics in order to determine if the company has run ahead of itself.On this front, we can look at the Zacks Style Scores, as they provide investors with an additional way to sort through stocks (beyond looking at the Zacks Rank of a security). These styles are represented by grades running from A to F in the categories of Value, Growth, and Momentum, while there is a combined VGM Score as well. The idea behind the style scores is to help investors pick the most appropriate Zacks Rank stocks based on their individual investment style.Northwest Pipe Co. has a Value Score of C. The stock's Growth and Momentum Scores are B and F, respectively, giving the company a VGM Score of B.In terms of its value breakdown, the stock currently trades at 16.8X current fiscal year EPS estimates, which is a premium to the peer industry average of 16.6X. On a trailing cash flow basis, the stock currently trades at 15.1X versus its peer group's average of 8.7X. Additionally, the stock has a PEG ratio of 3.36. This isn't enough to put the company in the top echelon of all stocks we cover from a value perspective.Zacks RankWe also need to look at the Zacks Rank for the stock, as this supersedes any trend on the style score front. Fortunately, Northwest Pipe Co. currently has a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy) thanks to favorable earnings estimate revisions from covering analysts.Since we recommend that investors select stocks carrying Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) and Style Scores of A or B, it looks as if Northwest Pipe Co. meets the list of requirements. Thus, it seems as though Northwest Pipe Co. shares could have a bit more room to run in the near term.Free Today: Profiting from The Future’s Brightest Energy SourceThe demand for electricity is growing exponentially. At the same time, we’re working to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels like oil and natural gas. Nuclear energy is an ideal replacement.Leaders from the US and 21 other countries recently committed to TRIPLING the world’s nuclear energy capacities. This aggressive transition could mean tremendous profits for nuclear-related stocks – and investors who get in on the action early enough.Our urgent report, Atomic Opportunity: Nuclear Energy's Comeback, explores the key players and technologies driving this opportunity, including 3 standout stocks poised to benefit the most.Download Atomic Opportunity: Nuclear Energy's Comeback free today.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 Northwest Pipe Company (NWPX): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks