Zacks.com featured highlights El Pollo Loco, EZCORP, Mattel, OppFi and Avangrid

For Immediate ReleaseChicago, IL – November 20, 2024 – Stocks in this week’s article are El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. LOCO, EZCORP, Inc. EZPW, Mattel, Inc. MAT, OppFi Inc. OPFI and Avangrid, Inc. AGR.Tap These 5 Bargain Stocks with Alluring EV-to-EBITDA Ratios Investors are typically fixated on the price-to-earnings (P/E) strategy while seeking stocks trading at attractive prices. This straightforward, easy-to-calculate ratio is the most preferred among all the valuation metrics in the investment toolkit for working out the fair market value of a stock. But even this ubiquitously used valuation metric is not without its pitfalls.While P/E is by far the most popular equity valuation ratio, a more complicated metric called EV-to-EBITDA does a better job of valuing a firm. Often viewed as a better substitute to P/E, this ratio offers a clearer picture of a company’s valuation and its earnings potential.El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc., EZCORP, Inc., Mattel, Inc., OppFi Inc. and Avangrid, Inc. are some stocks with attractive EV-to-EBITDA ratios.Here’s Why EV-to-EBITDA is a Better OptionAlso referred to as enterprise multiple, EV-to-EBITDA is the enterprise value (EV) of a stock divided by its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA). EV is the sum of a company’s market capitalization, its debt and preferred stock minus cash and cash equivalents. In essence, it is the entire value of a company. EBITDA, the other element, gives a clearer picture of a company’s profitability by removing the impact of non-cash expenses like depreciation and amortization that dampen net earnings. It is also often used as a proxy for cash flows.Typically, the lower the EV-to-EBITDA ratio, the more enticing it is. A low EV-to-EBITDA ratio could indicate that a stock is undervalued. Unlike the P/E ratio, EV-to-EBITDA takes debt on a company’s balance sheet into account. For this reason, it is typically used to value acquisition targets. The ratio shows the amount of debt that the acquirer has to bear. Stocks flaunting a low EV-to-EBITDA multiple could be seen as attractive takeover candidates.P/E can’t also be used to value a loss-making firm. A firm’s earnings are also subject to accounting estimates and management manipulation. In contrast, EV-to-EBITDA is harder to manipulate and can be used to value companies that have negative net earnings but are positive on the EBITDA front. EV-to-EBITDA is also a useful tool in measuring the value of firms that are highly leveraged and have a high degree of depreciation. Moreover, it can be used to compare companies with different levels of debt.However, EV-to-EBITDA is also not without its shortcomings and alone cannot conclusively determine a stock’s potential and future performance. The ratio varies across industries and is generally not appropriate while comparing stocks in different industries, given their diverse capital spending requirements.Thus, instead of just relying on EV-to-EBITDA, you can club it with the other major ratios, such as price-to-book (P/B), P/E and price-to-sales (P/S), to achieve the desired results.Here are our five picks out of the six stocks that passed the screen:El Pollo Loco develops, franchises, licenses and operates quick-service restaurants under the name El Pollo Loco. This Zacks Rank #1 stock has a Value Score of A.El Pollo Loco has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 16.9% for 2024. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for LOCO’s 2024 earnings has been revised 3.8% upward over the past 60 days.EZCORP is engaged in establishing, acquiring and operating pawnshops that function as convenient sources of consumer credit and value-oriented specialty retailers of primarily previously owned merchandise. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has a Value Score of A. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.EZCORP has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 11.6% for fiscal 2025. The consensus estimate for EZPW’s fiscal 2025 earnings has been revised 1.6% upward over the past 60 days.Mattel is the world’s largest manufacturer of toys. Its products are sold in collaboration with the world’s leading retail and e-commerce companies. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has a Value Score of A.Mattel has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 18.7% for 2024. The consensus estimate for MAT’s 2024 earnings has been revised 2.1% upward over the past 60 days.OppFi is a tech-enabled specialty finance platform that powers community banks to help everyday consumers gain access to credit. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has a Value Score of A.OppFi has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 68.6% for 2024. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for OPFI’s 2024 earnings has been revised 16.2% upward over the past 60 days.Avangrid is a leading sustainable energy company in the United States. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has a Value Score of B.Avangrid has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 12% for 2024. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AGR’s 2024 earnings has been revised 4.5% upward over the past 60 days.You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge.The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today.For the rest of this Screen of the Week article please visit Zacks.com at: https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2371933/tap-these-5-bargain-stocks-with-alluring-ev-to-ebitda-ratiosZacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.Contact: Jim GiaquintoCompany: Zacks.comPhone: 312-265-9268Email: pr@zacks.comVisit: https://www.zacks.com/Zacks.com provides investment resources and informs you of these resources, which you may choose to use in making your own investment decisions. Zacks is providing information on this resource to you subject to the Zacks "Terms and Conditions of Service" disclaimer. www.zacks.com/disclaimer.Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.This top pick is among the most innovative financial firms. With a fast-growing customer base (already 50+ million) and a diverse set of cutting edge solutions, this stock is poised for big gains. Of course, all our elite picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months.Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpWant 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 Mattel, Inc. (MAT): Free Stock Analysis Report EZCORP, Inc. (EZPW): Free Stock Analysis Report El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO): Free Stock Analysis Report Avangrid, Inc. (AGR): Free Stock Analysis Report OppFi Inc. (OPFI): 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