Investors could be interested in the following securities, as their forward price-earnings ratios are lower than the S&P 500's historical average price-earnings ratio of 15. The projections of future earnings are based on data from Morningstar analysts.
EnerSys
The first stock that makes the cut is EnerSys (ENS, Financial), a Reading, Pennsylvania-based manufacturer and distributor of industrial batteries and related equipment.
EnerSys has a forward price-earnings ratio of 13.68, which results from Friday’s closing price of $74.84 per share and analyst expectations for net earnings per share of approximately $5.47 for the next full fiscal year.
The stock has fallen 9% over the past year for a market capitalization of $3.14 billion and a 52-week range of $72.13 to $104.47.
GuruFocus has assigned a rating of 5 out of 10 for the company's financial strength and a rating of 8 out of 10 for its profitability.
Wall Street sell-side analysts recommend a median rating of overweight for this stock with an average price target of $105.50 per share.
Whiting Petroleum Corp
The second stock that qualifies is Whiting Petroleum Corp. (WLL, Financial), a Denver-based oil and gas producer.
Whiting Petroleum Corp has a forward price-earnings ratio of 3.21, which derives from Friday’s closing price of $62.58 per share and analyst expectations for earnings of approximately $19.50 per share for the next full fiscal year.
The stock has risen by 160% over the past year for a market capitalization of $2.45 billion and a 52-week range of $19.75 to $71.61.
GuruFocus has assigned a rating of 6 out of 10 for the company's financial strength and a rating of 4 out of 10 for its profitability.
Wall Street sell-side analysts recommend a median rating of overweight with an average price target of $80.22 per share for this stock.
Cars.com Inc.
The third stock that makes the cut is Cars.com Inc. (CARS, Financial), a Chicago, Illinois-based operator of a digital marketplace for automobiles.
Cars.com Inc. has a forward price-earnings ratio of 14, which derives from Friday’s closing price of $15.61 per share and analyst expectations for earnings of approximately $1.115 per share for the next full fiscal year.
The stock has risen by 28.4% over the past year for a market capitalization of $1.08 billion and a 52-week range of $10.73 to $19.09.
GuruFocus has assigned a rating of 4 out of 10 for the company's financial strength and a rating of 5 out of 10 for its profitability.
Wall Street sell-side analysts recommend a median rating of overweight and have established an average price target of $18.81 per share for the stock.
Central Pacific Financial Corp
The fourth stock that makes the cut is Central Pacific Financial Corp. (CPF, Financial), a Honolulu, Hawaii-based regional bank serving businesses, professionals and individuals in the state of Hawaii through 31 branches and 69 automated teller machines.
Central Pacific Financial Corp. has a forward price-earnings ratio of 14.43, which derives from Friday’s closing price of $27.26 per share and analyst expectations for earnings of approximately $1.89 per share for the next full fiscal year.
The stock has risen by 44.2% over the past year for a market capitalization of $762.39 million and a 52-week range of $18.31 to $29.15.
GuruFocus has assigned a rating of 3 out of 10 for the company's financial strength and a rating of 5 out of 10 for its profitability.
Wall Street sell-side analysts recommend a median rating of buy and have established an average price target of $30.67 per share for the stock.
