5 Undervalued Insurance - Property & Casualty Stocks for Friday, July 07

By Pratham Shah
July 07, 2023
Diamond graphic indicating best value stocks in their industry
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Based on key financial metrics such as the price-to-sales ratio, shareholder yield and the price-earnings ratio, the following 5 stocks made the list for top value stocks in the Insurance - Property & Casualty industry. Those looking for value stocks to add to their portfolio may want to use this list as a starting point for further investment research.

Latest Insurance - Property & Casualty Stock News

Before choosing which top Insurance - Property & Casualty stock to buy, be sure to conduct proper due diligence: analyze various financial metrics and look at historical data, public statements and news coverage.

The sub-industry of property and casualty insurance has a promising fundamental outlook. Despite some inflation in claim costs brought on by pandemics and some uncertainty regarding the size of claims resulting from the conflict in Ukraine, industry profitability is expected to increase in 2022 due to an anticipated decrease in the number of significant global catastrophe claims that have plagued most insurers in recent years. However, it's likely that these losses will force the insurance industry to release adequate extra underwriting capacity, leading to firmer rates across many lines of coverage. The state of the global and domestic economies overall, as well as how well they recover from the recession brought on by COVID19, will determine how much demand there is for specific types of insurance products, particularly those in the commercial lines sector. The sector has $989 billion in surplus (or capital) from policyholders as of September 30, 2021 (the most recent date known), which helped to fund its $701 billion written premium base. Less than a 1:1 ratio was being used by the sector to leverage its capital. The industry has "excess" capital of close to $600 billion by assuming a historical (and somewhat theoretical) benchmark 2:1 leverage of capital. Insurers will be able to take advantage of higher rates and a rise in coverage demand during an economic recovery thanks to this "extra" capital (or underwriting capacity). The S&P Property & Casualty Insurance Index increased by 8.6% year-to-date until March 18, 2022, while the S&P 1500 Index fell by 6.2%. The S&P Property & Casualty Insurance Index increased by 16% in 2021, while the S&P 1500 Index increased by 26.7%.

Why Focus on Undervalued Insurance - Property & Casualty Stocks?

Value investors seek to buy stocks at a discount to their intrinsic value. Long-term returns show that such strategies are advantageous. Value stocks, as a group, tend to outperform growth stocks over extended periods of time. Typically, value investors perform financial analysis of numerous metrics, don’t follow the herd and are long-term investors.

AAII’s A+ Investor Value Grade is derived from a stock’s Value Score. The Value Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of the price-to-sales ratio, price-earnings ratio, enterprise-value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio, shareholder yield, price-to-book-value ratio and price-to-free-cash-flow ratio. The score is variable, meaning it can consider all six ratios or, should any of the six ratios not be valid, the remaining ratios that are valid. To be assigned a Value Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) ratio and corresponding ranking for at least two of the six valuation ratios.

What Goes Into AAII’s Value Grade?

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data as well as the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movement. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors with that task.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A–F grades for more than just value. It is possible for a stock to appear cheap based on one valuation metric but appear expensive on another. It is also possible for one valuation ratio to be associated with outperforming stocks during certain periods of time but not others. Some stocks may even have null values for certain metrics like the price-earnings ratio or the price-to-book ratio but not others. An example of this would be a company with losses instead of profits or a negative book value because of heavy borrowing. Negative earnings or book value result in non-meaningful ratios that are left blank or null.

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5 Undervalued Insurance - Property & Casualty Stocks

Of course, there are countless value stocks that are worth mentioning, but this is a concise list of the top 5 undervalued stocks in the Insurance - Property & Casualty industry for Friday, July 07, 2023. Let’s take a closer look at their individual scores to see how they measure up against each other and the Insurance - Property & Casualty industry median.

Company Ticker Price/Sales Price/Earnings EV/EBITDA Shareholder Yield Price/Book Value Price/Free Cash Flow Value Grade
Arch Capital Group Ltd. ACGL 2.53 14.2 7.0 1.9% 2.06 6.6 B
Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd FRFHF 0.54 9.3 7.3 3.7% 0.90 na A
Investors Title Company ITIC 0.99 15.1 5.2 1.2% 1.18 51.7 B
HG Holdings Inc STLY 1.44 6.1 3.1 (1.1%) 0.66 2.7 A
Westaim Corp WEDXF 37.27 3.6 na 0.9% 0.82 na B

The Value Grade is assigned based on how each stock’s composite valuation compares to all other stocks.

The process for assigning grades starts with each variable for a given stock. The percentile rankings for all valid ratios that a stock has are calculated. So, for instance, a stock could have a price-to-book ranking in the 43rd percentile, a price-earnings ranking in the 67th percentile, a price-to-sales ranking in the 23rd percentile, etc. Then, those rankings are averaged for each stock. (A minimum of two valid variables are required, though all six will be used if available.)

Once the average of the individual variables is calculated, that average is ranked against all stocks. Put another way, each stock’s composite valuation is compared to all other stocks. These ranks are then sorted into quintiles from the cheapest 20% (a grade of A) to the most expensive 20% (a grade of F).

As always, we recommend that you conduct proper due diligence and research before investing in any security. We also suggest that investors utilize numerous grades, not just value, when it comes to deciding whether a company is a good fit for their allocation needs.

Arch Capital Group Ltd.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score ACGL Industry Median
Price/Sales 63 2.53 0.98
Price/Earnings 44 14.2 14.3
EV/EBITDA 35 7.0 7.4
Shareholder Yield 34 1.9% 2.5%
Price/Book Value 59 2.06 1.15
Price/Free Cash Flow 22 6.6 9.3

Arch Capital Group Ltd. is a Bermuda-based company that provides insurance, reinsurance and mortgage insurance through its wholly owned subsidiaries. Its insurance segment consists of the Company’s insurance underwriting units, which offer specialty product lines, including construction and national accounts; excess and surplus casualty; lenders products; professional lines; programs; property, energy, marine and aviation; travel, accident and health, and other (consisting of alternative markets, excess workers' compensation and surety business). The reinsurance segment consists of the Company’s reinsurance underwriting units, which offer specialty product lines, including casualty; marine and aviation; other specialty; property catastrophe; property excluding property catastrophe, and other. The mortgage segment includes the Company’s United States primary mortgage insurance business, investment and services related to United States credit-risk transfer (CRT).

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.

Arch Capital Group Ltd. has a Value Score of 61, which is considered to be undervalued.

When you look at Arch Capital Group Ltd.’s price-to-sales ratio at 2.53 compared to the industry median at 0.98, this company has a higher price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make Arch Capital Group Ltd.’s stock less attractive for value investors.

Arch Capital Group Ltd.’s price-earnings ratio is 14.23 compared to the industry median at 14.34. This means it has a lower share price relative to earnings compared to its peers. This could make Arch Capital Group Ltd. more attractive for value investors.

Now, let’s assess Arch Capital Group Ltd.’s EV/EBITDA ratio, also known as enterprise multiple. At 7.0, when compared to the industry median of 7.4, the company may be considered undervalued in relation to its peers. Value investors could use the enterprise multiple to identify stocks that are considered overvalued or undervalued relative to their industry.

Shareholder yield is the sum of a stock’s dividend yield (paid over previous 12 months minus special dividends) and the percentage of net share buybacks over the previous 12 months. Arch Capital Group Ltd.’s shareholder yield is lower than its industry median ratio of 2.50%. Value investors may look for an attractive shareholder yield because it can be a powerful tool for identifying if the company has a good management team.

As one of the most common value metrics, the price-to-book ratio evaluates a company’s current market price relative to its book value. Arch Capital Group Ltd.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its industry median ratio of 1.15. This could make Arch Capital Group Ltd. less attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.

Lastly, let’s take a look at Arch Capital Group Ltd.’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio (P/FCF), which can indicate a company’s market value relative to its operating cash flow. Arch Capital Group Ltd.’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 9.28. This could make Arch Capital Group Ltd. more attractive because the lower P/FCF ratio indicates that Arch Capital Group Ltd. is undervalued. The P/FCF ratio metric can also be viewed over a long-term time frame to see if the company's cash flow to share price value is generally improving or worsening.

Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score FRFHF Industry Median
Price/Sales 21 0.54 0.98
Price/Earnings 29 9.3 14.3
EV/EBITDA 36 7.3 7.4
Shareholder Yield 25 3.7% 2.5%
Price/Book Value 26 0.90 1.15
Price/Free Cash Flow na na 9.3

Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited is a Canada-based holding company. The Company through its subsidiaries, is primarily engaged in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance, and the associated investment management. The Company has four segments: Property and Casualty Insurance and Reinsurance, Life insurance and Run-off, Non-insurance companies, and Corporate and Other. Property and Casualty Insurance and Reinsurance segment is comprised of North American insurers, global insurers and reinsurers, and international insurers and reinsurers. Life insurance and Run-off segment is comprised of Eurolife’s life insurance operations and U.S. Run-off, which includes TIG Insurance Company. Non-insurance companies segment is comprised of restaurants and retail, Fairfax India, Thomas Cook India, and other. Corporate and Other includes the parent entity (Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited), its subsidiary intermediate holding companies and Hamblin Watsa, an investment management company.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.

Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd has a Value Score of 87, which is considered to be undervalued.

Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd’s price-earnings ratio is 9.3 compared to the industry median at 14.3. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd more attractive for value investors.

Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.15.

You can read more about Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.

Investors Title Company’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score ITIC Industry Median
Price/Sales 34 0.99 0.98
Price/Earnings 46 15.1 14.3
EV/EBITDA 23 5.2 7.4
Shareholder Yield 37 1.2% 2.5%
Price/Book Value 37 1.18 1.15
Price/Free Cash Flow 81 51.7 9.3

Investors Title Company is a holding company that operates through its subsidiaries. The Company?s primary business activities include issuance of residential and commercial title insurance through Investors Title Insurance Company (ITIC) and National Investors Title Insurance Company (NITIC). Additionally, the Company provides tax-deferred real property exchange services through its subsidiaries, Investors Title Exchange Corporation (ITEC) and Investors Title Accommodation Corporation (ITAC); tax-deferred real property exchange services through its subsidiaries, Investors Title Exchange Corporation (ITEC) and Investors Title Accommodation Corporation (ITAC) and management services to title insurance agencies through its subsidiary, Investors Title Management Services (ITMS). ITIC and NITIC offer primary title insurance coverage to owners and mortgagees of real estate and assume reinsurance of title insurance risks from other title insurance companies.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.

Investors Title Company has a Value Score of 61, which is considered to be undervalued.

Investors Title Company’s price-earnings ratio is 15.1 compared to the industry median at 14.3. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Investors Title Company less attractive for value investors.

Investors Title Company’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Investors Title Company more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.15.

You can read more about Investors Title Company’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.

HG Holdings Inc’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score STLY Industry Median
Price/Sales 44 1.44 0.98
Price/Earnings 14 6.1 14.3
EV/EBITDA 11 3.1 7.4
Shareholder Yield 61 (1.1%) 2.5%
Price/Book Value 15 0.66 1.15
Price/Free Cash Flow 6 2.7 9.3

HG Holdings, Inc. is engaged in the business of providing title insurance services through its subsidiary National Consumer Title Insurance Company (NCTIC). The Company also provides title agency services through its subsidiaries National Consumer Title Group, LLC (NCTG), Title Agency Ventures, LLC (TAV), and Omega National Title Agency, LLC (Omega). Through NCTIC, the Company underwrites land title insurance for owners and mortgagees as the primary insurer. The Company operates through four segments: title insurance services, reinsurance, management services, and real estate. The Company's title insurance segment issues title insurance policies on residential and commercial property in the state of Florida. This segment also provides closing and/or escrow services to facilitate real estate transactions. The Company’s real estate segment is engaged in rental real estate through its equity investment in HC Government Realty Trust, Inc., (HC Realty).

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.

HG Holdings Inc has a Value Score of 90, which is considered to be undervalued.

HG Holdings Inc’s price-earnings ratio is 6.1 compared to the industry median at 14.3. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes HG Holdings Inc more attractive for value investors.

HG Holdings Inc’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make HG Holdings Inc less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.15.

You can read more about HG Holdings Inc’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.

Westaim Corp’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score WEDXF Industry Median
Price/Sales 96 37.27 0.98
Price/Earnings 6 3.6 14.3
EV/EBITDA na na 7.4
Shareholder Yield 38 0.9% 2.5%
Price/Book Value 22 0.82 1.15
Price/Free Cash Flow na na 9.3

The Westaim Corporation is an investment company. The Company specializes in providing long-term capital to businesses operating primarily within the global financial services industry. The Company invests, directly and indirectly, through acquisitions, joint ventures and other arrangements, with the objective of providing its shareholders with capital appreciation and real wealth preservation. Its investment strategy is to pursue investment opportunities with a focus towards the global financial services industry. Its investments include interests in Skyward Specialty, Arena Investors and Arena FINCOs. Skyward Specialty is a diversified specialty property & casualty insurance holding company that underwrites select property, casualty, surety, and accident and health insurance coverages. The Arena FINCOs include specialty finance companies that primarily purchase fundamentals-based, asset-oriented credit and other investments. Arena Investors operates as an investment manager.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.

Westaim Corp has a Value Score of 65, which is considered to be undervalued.

Westaim Corp’s price-earnings ratio is 3.6 compared to the industry median at 14.3. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Westaim Corp more attractive for value investors.

Westaim Corp’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Westaim Corp less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.15.

You can read more about Westaim Corp’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.

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Other Insurance - Property & Casualty Stock Grades

Value is just one of the five Stock Grades included in our A+ Investor service. AAII members can see the top-graded stocks—those with grades of A or B for value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality—on the A+ Stock Grades Screener.

Also, if you want full access to all of AAII’s premium services, you can subscribe to one convenient bundled plan called AAII Platinum where you can try out A+ Investor, AAII Dividend Investing, the Stock Superstars Report, Growth Investing and VMQ Stocks. With the other premium services, you can dive deep into additional metrics, portfolios, commentary and information about Insurance - Property & Casualty stocks as well as other industrys.

Choosing Which of the 5 Best Insurance - Property & Casualty Stocks Is Right for You

Choosing which value stocks to invest in will ultimately depend on your individual goals and allocation; however, comparing similar value stocks in the same industry can help you analyze which might be better investments for you in the long run. So, let’s take a look at the Value Grade for all of our stocks.

  • Arch Capital Group Ltd. stock has a Value Grade of B.
  • Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd stock has a Value Grade of A.
  • Investors Title Company stock has a Value Grade of B.
  • HG Holdings Inc stock has a Value Grade of A.
  • Westaim Corp stock has a Value Grade of B.

Now that you have a bit more background about each of the 5 undervalued stocks in the Insurance - Property & Casualty industry as well as their overall grades, it’s time for you to conduct additional research to see if these could fit your portfolio needs based on your goals and risk tolerance. AAII can help you figure out both and identify which investments align with what works best for you.

We do so through a program of education that teaches you to invest for yourself and become an effective manager of your own wealth—no more relying on others for your financial independence. You can rely on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis that makes you a better investor.

A+ Investor adds to that qualitative teaching by giving you a powerful data suite that helps you whittle down investment decisions to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

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Additional Resources About Insurance - Property & Casualty Stocks

Want to learn more about Insurance - Property & Casualty stocks to see if they could be the right investment for you? Check out some additional resources and articles to help you on your financial journey.

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.



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