ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW) vs. Vodafone Group Plc (LSE:VOD): Quant Technicals In The Spotlight

Source: howebusinessdaily.com

Checking in on some valuation rankings, ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW) has a Value Composite score of 80. Developed by James O’Shaughnessy, the VC score uses five valuation ratios. These ratios are price to earnings, price to cash flow, EBITDA to EV, price to book value, and price to sales. The VC is displayed as a number between 1 and 100. In general, a company with a score closer to 0 would be seen as undervalued, and a score closer to 100 would indicate an overvalued company. Adding a sixth ratio, shareholder yield, we can view the Value Composite 2 score which is currently sitting at 82. 

Technicals

Volatility comes with the territory when trading stocks. Individual stock prices can fluctuate dramatically, and returns can be largely varied. Because no stock is guaranteed to produce returns, there is a possibility that any stock could potentially lose value. Even though stock prices can shift from day to day, long-term investors are usually more concerned about price movements over an expanded period of time. Investors looking to minimize volatility risk may look to hold a larger number of diversified stocks in the portfolio. Even though market dips may have an impact on the entire portfolio, it is important to remember that it is just a normal part of investing in the stock market.

In taking a look at some other notable technicals, ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW)’s ROIC is -0.015148. The ROIC 5 year average is -0.140710 and the ROIC Quality ratio is 0.306066. ROIC is a profitability ratio that measures the return that an investment generates for those providing capital. ROIC helps show how efficient a firm is at turning capital into profits.

We also note that ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW) has a Shareholder Yield of -0.050035 and a Shareholder Yield (Mebane Faber) of -0.05848. The first value is calculated by adding the dividend yield to the percentage of repurchased shares. The second value adds in the net debt repaid yield to the calculation. Shareholder yield has the ability to show how much money the firm is giving back to shareholders via a few different avenues. Companies may issue new shares and buy back their own shares. This may occur at the same time. Investors may also use shareholder yield to gauge a baseline rate of return.

ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW) has a current MF Rank of 11600. Developed by hedge fund manager Joel Greenblatt, the intention of the formula is to spot high quality companies that are trading at an attractive price. The formula uses ROIC and earnings yield ratios to find quality, undervalued stocks. In general, companies with the lowest combined rank may be the higher quality picks.

We can now take a quick look at some historical stock price index data. ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW) presently has a 10 month price index of 1.62096. The price index is calculated by dividing the current share price by the share price ten months ago. A ratio over one indicates an increase in share price over the period. A ratio lower than one shows that the price has decreased over that time period. Looking at some alternate time periods, the 12 month price index is 1.37038, the 24 month is 2.37879, and the 36 month is 3.62733. Narrowing in a bit closer, the 5 month price index is 1.09403, the 3 month is 0.99835, and the 1 month is currently 0.93133.

The C-Score is a system developed by James Montier that helps determine whether a company is involved in falsifying their financial statements.  The C-Score is calculated by a variety of items, including a growing difference in net income verse cash flow, increasing days outstanding, growing days sales of inventory, increasing assets to sales, declines in depreciation, and high total asset growth.  The C-Score of ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW) is 3.00000.  The score ranges on a scale of -1 to 6.  If the score is -1, then there is not enough information to determine the C-Score.  If the number is at zero (0) then there is no evidence of fraudulent book cooking, whereas a number of 6 indicates a high likelihood of fraudulent activity. The C-Score assists investors in assessing the likelihood of a company cheating in the books.

Investors might be trying to figure out the best way to approach the stock market. After creating a plan that includes a list of stocks to purchase, investors may be looking to gauge the best time to enter the trade. With markets still cruising along at high altitudes, investors may be worried about buying at the top. Most individuals would probably agree that getting out before the market drops would be the best play. Obviously this is much easier said than done. If the warning signs were blatant, everyone would know exactly when to sell and when to re-buy. When the stock market has a big decline, the natural instinct is generally to sell in order to protect gains or eliminate further losses. Trying to time the market can have negative implications for investors who are not prepared to handle extremely volatile market conditions. Being prepared for any sudden change in the overall economy or stock market conditions may help the investor stay afloat for the long haul.

The Value Composite One (VC1) is a method that investors use to determine a company’s value.  The Value Composite score of Vodafone Group Plc (LSE:VOD) is 30.  A company with a value of 0 is thought to be an undervalued company, while a company with a value of 100 is considered an overvalued company.  The VC1 is calculated using the price to book value, price to sales, EBITDA to EV, price to cash flow, and price to earnings.  Similarly, the Value Composite Two (VC2) is calculated with the same ratios, but adds the Shareholder Yield.  The Value Composite Two of Vodafone Group Plc (LSE:VOD) is 24.

As the next round of earnings reports come into the spotlight next quarter, investors may be deciding how to get into the best position to make the most profitable trades. Earnings reports have the ability to influence stock prices dramatically. Sometimes it can be hard to figure out which way the price will go even if the reported numbers are up to snuff. Some investors enjoy the frantic trading opportunities around earnings reports, and others will stay as far away as possible. Even if the investor isn’t planning on making any moves during earnings season, it may be wise to follow what companies are reporting. If the numbers from a certain holding come in way out of whack, it may be necessary to do some in-depth research to try and find out the reason. Investors that make sure that all the bases are covered will typically find it easier to make sense out of certain anomalies that pop up in the markets from time to time. Putting in the extra time and effort to understand the ins and outs of a particular stock may help boost the novice investor up to the next level. Every investor wants their trades to be profitable, and doing that little extra piece of homework could be just what the finance doctor ordered for staying on top of the stock market.    
 
Technicals at a Glance

In taking a look at some other notable technicals, Vodafone Group Plc (LSE:VOD)’s ROIC is 0.053148. The ROIC 5 year average is 0.039295 and the ROIC Quality ratio is 20.252521. ROIC is a profitability ratio that measures the return that an investment generates for those providing capital. ROIC helps show how efficient a firm is at turning capital into profits.

There are many different tools to determine whether a company is profitable or not.  One of the most popular ratios is the “Return on Assets” (aka ROA).  This score indicates how profitable a company is relative to its total assets.  The Return on Assets for Vodafone Group Plc (LSE:VOD) is -0.055078.  This number is calculated by dividing net income after tax by the company’s total assets.  A company that manages their assets well will have a higher return, while a company that manages their assets poorly will have a lower return.

Shareholder Yield
We also note that Vodafone Group Plc (LSE:VOD) has a Shareholder Yield of 0.034138 and a Shareholder Yield (Mebane Faber) of -0.23406. The first value is calculated by adding the dividend yield to the percentage of repurchased shares. The second value adds in the net debt repaid yield to the calculation. Shareholder yield has the ability to show how much money the firm is giving back to shareholders via a few different avenues. Companies may issue new shares and buy back their own shares. This may occur at the same time. Investors may also use shareholder yield to gauge a baseline rate of return.

Vodafone Group Plc (LSE:VOD) has a current MF Rank of 8880. Developed by hedge fund manager Joel Greenblatt, the intention of the formula is to spot high quality companies that are trading at an attractive price. The formula uses ROIC and earnings yield ratios to find quality, undervalued stocks. In general, companies with the lowest combined rank may be the higher quality picks.

Price Index
We can now take aquick look at some historical stock price index data. Vodafone Group Plc (LSE:VOD) presently has a 10 month price index of 1.08084. The price index is calculated by dividing the current share price by the share price ten months ago. A ratio over one indicates an increase in share price over the period. A ratio lower than one shows that the price has decreased over that time period. Looking at some alternate time periods, the 12 month price index is 0.90860, the 24 month is 0.79629, and the 36 month is 0.80351. Narrowing in a bit closer, the 5 month price index is 1.11676, the 3 month is 1.21901, and the 1 month is currently 0.99369.

The Piotroski F-Score is a scoring system between 1-9 that determines a firm’s financial strength.  The score helps determine if a company’s stock is valuable or not.  The Piotroski F-Score of Vodafone Group Plc (LSE:VOD) is 4.  A score of nine indicates a high value stock, while a score of one indicates a low value stock.  The score is calculated by the return on assets (ROA), Cash flow return on assets (CFROA), change in return of assets, and quality of earnings.  It is also calculated by a change in gearing or leverage, liquidity, and change in shares in issue.  The score is also determined by change in gross margin and change in asset turnover.

Stock market investors are typically searching for solid quality companies to help boost the portfolio. There are plenty of quality companies out there, the tricky part may be determining what constitutes as quality. Many investors look for companies that are solid sales leaders within a market that is growing. Going further, investors may be studying a company’s proven track record and gauging the competence of current management. Adding other factors such as brand recognition and prospects for steady growth, investors may eventually find a company that is worth taking the risk for future returns.