5 Companies For Defensive Investors Near 52 Week Lows – Aug 2016

There are a number of great companies in the market today. By using the ModernGraham ValuationModel, I’ve selected the five undervalued companies reviewed by ModernGraham trading closest to their 52 week low. Each of these companies has been determined to be suitable for the Defensive Investor according to the ModernGraham approach.

Defensive Investors are defined as investors who are not able or willing to do substantial research into individual investments, and therefore need to select only the companies that present the least amount of risk. Enterprising Investors, on the other hand, are able to do substantial research and can select companies that present a moderate (though still low) amount of risk.

CIGNA Corporation (CI)

CIGNA Corporation qualifies for both the Defensive Investor and the Enterprising Investor. In fact, the company meets all of the requirements of both investor types, a rare accomplishment indicative of the company’s strong financial position. The Enterprising Investor has no initial concerns. As a result, all value investors following the ModernGraham approach should feel comfortable proceeding with the analysis.

As for a valuation, the company appears to be Undervalued after growing its EPSmg (normalized earnings) from $4.84 in 2012 to an estimated $7.82 for 2016. This level of demonstrated earnings growth outpaces the market’s implied estimate of 3.87% annual earnings growth over the next 7-10 years. As a result, the ModernGraham valuation model, based on Benjamin Graham’s formula, returns an estimate of intrinsic value above the price. (See the full valuation)

 

Robert Half International Inc. (RHI)

Robert Half International Inc. qualifies for the Enterprising Investor and the more conservative Defensive Investor. The Defensive Investor is only concerned with the high PB ratio. The Enterprising Investor only has concerns regarding the level of debt relative to the net current assets. As a result, value investors following the ModernGraham approach should feel comfortable proceeding with the analysis.