3 Value Stocks We Approach with Caution

Value investing has produced some of the world’s most famous investing billionaires, including Warren Buffett, David Einhorn, and Seth Klarman, who built their fortunes by purchasing wonderful businesses at reasonable prices. But these hidden gems are few and far between – many stocks that appear cheap often stay that way because they face structural issues.

Identifying genuine bargains from value traps is something many investors struggle with, which is why we started StockStory – to help you find the best companies. That said, here are three value stocks with poor fundamentals and some alternatives you should consider instead.

ZoomInfo (GTM)

Forward P/S Ratio: 1x

Operating a platform it calls “RevOS” – short for Revenue Operating System – ZoomInfo (NASDAQ:GTM) provides sales, marketing, and recruiting teams with business intelligence and analytics to identify prospects and deliver targeted outreach.

Why Should You Sell GTM?

1. Flat billings over the last year suggest it may need to improve its products, pricing, or go-to-market strategy to reinvigorate demand

2. Forecasted revenue decline of 6.2% for the upcoming 12 months implies demand will fall off a cliff

3. Expenses have increased as a percentage of revenue over the last year as its operating margin fell by 49.7 percentage points

ZoomInfo is trading at $4.06 per share, or 1x forward price-to-sales. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why GTM doesn’t pass our bar.

Pilgrim’s Pride (PPC)

Forward P/E Ratio: 12.9x

Offering everything from pre-marinated to frozen chicken, Pilgrim’s Pride (NASDAQ:PPC) produces, processes, and distributes chicken products to retailers and food service customers.

Why Is PPC Risky?

1. The company has faced growth challenges as its 2.6% annual revenue increases over the last three years fell short of other consumer staples companies

2. Gross margin of 11.7% is an output of its commoditized products

3. Costs have risen faster than its revenue over the last year, causing its operating margin to decline by 4.5 percentage points

Pilgrim’s Pride’s stock price of $28.89 implies a valuation ratio of 12.9x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than PPC.

Hilton Grand Vacations (HGV)

Forward P/E Ratio: 7.1x

Spun off from Hilton Worldwide in 2017, Hilton Grand Vacations (NYSE:HGV) is a global timeshare company that provides travel experiences for its customers through its timeshare resorts and club membership programs.

Why Do We Think HGV Will Underperform?