What is Value investing? Value managers invest in stocks, which they evaluate to be at bargain prices, waiting for them to reach their true worth. These stocks are generally in some form of difficulty whether it is because they are temporarily out of favor, have been overlooked by analysts or because of company‐specific difficulties that the market has exaggerated. Value investors believe that these stocks will come back into favor over time because they represent what they perceive to be good companies. These stocks usually offer above average dividend yields, which can represent an important component of a value portfolio’s returns. Finally, value stocks offer capital appreciation potential with an often lower margin of risk than other types of investments. What are Value stocks? Stocks are quantified as “value” stocks through a number of investment formulas. Value stocks are often characterized by lower Price/Earnings, Price/Book and Price/Cash Flow ratios than the overall market. They also generally have a higher dividend yield. How it’s calculated. Importance P/E Stock price divided by A low P/E ratio is desirable to a value manager because it means that Price to Earnings 12 month trailing EPS it would theoretically take fewer years at current earnings for the stock to buy itself. At the same time, low P/E investing can be less risky than high P/E investing because the expectation for earnings growth is lower. P/B Stock price divided by A company with a P/B of 1 could theoretically pay all its creditors and Price to Book the book value of the shareholders back. A low P/B ratio has been recognized in academic company research as a good indicator of stocks that will perform well in the future. P/CF Stock price divided by Cash flow is considered an important measure, as it is more difficult Price to Cash Flow the company’s cash to manipulate than earnings. High levels of cash flow mean that a flow company has flexibility, can meet its obligations and invest without tapping the capital markets. P/S Stock price divided by Helps in comparing companies on the amount of sales achieved for a Price to Sales the company’s current given stock price. annual revenues per share Dividend Yield Annual dividend per Like interest, dividend yield indicates the percentage annual “return” common share divided on the stock price. Companies that pay higher dividends are usually by the stock price more mature in a more stable environment. Intrinsic Value Value investing relies on the appraisal of a company’s intrinsic value to determine when it is truly undervalued. Every manager’s calculation of this value will differ. Why does a Value portfolio have lower volatility? Value investing is often made of companies that have already fallen on hard times. In other cases it is made of more stable companies that have demonstrated the ability to pay a constant dividend and the dividend yield is usually high compared to other stocks. When is Value “in” and when is it “out”? When the market is growing normally (for example 9.5% per year is the TSX’s long‐term average), Value should hold its own versus other investment styles. Value tends to outperform in down markets, and underperform when markets are growing rapidly. When does a Value stock become a Growth stock? Value stocks would become attractive to growth managers once the company’s stock price has appreciated. It will usually start to show above‐average sales and revenue growth and an acceleration of earnings. Why selling is just as important as buying? As part of the analysis process, a manager will establish a ceiling price for a Value stock. When the stock reaches that price, it is important to sell for two reasons: 1. The stock no longer fits the manager’s value approach, meaning it is time to sell and take profits. 2. The sale creates cash to purchase other stocks, which the manager believes offer more upside potential. Is Value more successful than other strategies? Both Value and Growth have periods of outperformance. Value has outperformed Growth over the long‐term (25 years ending December 31, 2001) by an average of two percentage points. However, Growth has had shorter periods where it has dramatically outperformed Value. When applied by a good investment manager, both Value and Growth are effective strategies. Both can be used to achieve your clients’ goals. .