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 Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG) is 5.  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.

Making smart choices when picking stocks is typically a top priority for successful investors. For new investors with little market knowledge, this can be challenging. Figuring out how to start building the stock portfolio may take a lot of time and effort. When the individual investor decides that they want to manage their own portfolio and make their own trades, the journey has just begun. Many individuals will be tempted to pursue stock trading plans based on advice from friends, colleagues, or family members. Even though certain plans may work for someone else, there is no guarantee that success will transfer to others. Investors often need to do their own research in order to obtain as much knowledge as possible before diving in to the markets.

SMA 50/200

Ever wonder how investors predict positive share price momentum? The Cross SMA 50/200, also known as the “Golden Cross” is the fifty day moving average divided by the two hundred day moving average. The SMA 50/200 for Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG) is currently 1.09293. If the Golden Cross is greater than 1, then the 50 day moving average is above the 200 day moving average – indicating a positive share price momentum. If the Golden Cross is less than 1, then the 50 day moving average is below the 200 day moving average, indicating that the price might drop.

The price to book ratio or market to book ratio for Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG) currently stands at 1.887721.  The ratio is calculated by dividing the stock price per share by the book value per share.  This ratio is used to determine how the market values the equity.  A ratio of under 1 typically indicates that the shares are undervalued.  A ratio over 1 indicates that the market is willing to pay more for the shares.  There are often many underlying factors that come into play with the Price to Book ratio so all additional metrics should be considered as well. 

MF Rank

The MF Rank (aka the Magic Formula) is a formula that pinpoints a valuable company trading at a good price. The formula is calculated by looking at companies that have a high earnings yield as well as a high return on invested capital. The MF Rank of Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG) is 2364. A company with a low rank is considered a good company to invest in. The Magic Formula was introduced in a book written by Joel Greenblatt, entitled, “The Little Book that Beats the Market”.

The Q.i. Value of Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG) is 32.00000.  The Q.i. Value is a helpful tool in determining if a company is undervalued or not.  The Q.i. Value is calculated using the following ratios: EBITDA Yield, Earnings Yield, FCF Yield, and Liquidity.  The lower the Q.i. value, the more undervalued the company is thought to be.

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 Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG) is 4.00000.  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.

There are so many different aspects to address when attempting to trade the stock market. With all the information available, it can become stressful trying to make sense of everything. Investors who are able to prioritize useful data may be able to make better big picture decisions. Even when all the research is done and the numbers have been crunched, investors still may find themselves forced with the tough decision of when to buy a specific equity. Doing the due diligence and being prepared can be a great asset when forced into a tough situation. Knowing when to pounce on an opportunity can be just as important as knowing when to exit a bad trade. As humans, investors will always be prone to making mistakes. Investors who are able to identify and learn from those mistakes might find themselves in a much better position over the long run.

Turning to Free Cash Flow Growth (FCF Growth), this is the free cash flow of the current year minus the free cash flow from the previous year, divided by last year’s free cash flow.  The FCF Growth of Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG) is -0.027407.  Free cash flow (FCF) is the cash produced by the company minus capital expenditure.  This cash is what a company uses to meet its financial obligations, such as making payments on debt or to pay out dividends.  The Free Cash Flow Score (FCF Score) is a helpful tool in calculating the free cash flow growth with free cash flow stability – this gives investors the overall quality of the free cash flow.  

Stock volatility is a percentage that indicates whether a stock is a desirable purchase.  Investors look at the Volatility 12m to determine if a company has a low volatility percentage or not over the course of a year.  The Volatility 12m of Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG) is 43.715100.  This is calculated by taking weekly log normal returns and standard deviation of the share price over one year annualized.  

The lower the number, a company is thought to have low volatility.  The Volatility 3m is a similar percentage determined by the daily log normal returns and standard deviation of the share price over 3 months.  The Volatility 3m of Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG) is 30.634600.  The Volatility 6m is the same, except measured over the course of six months.  The Volatility 6m is 35.528200.

Value Composite
The Value Composite One (VC1) is a method that investors use to determine a company’s value.  The VC1 of Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG) is 37.  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 Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG) is 50.

ERP5 Rank

The ERP5 Rank is an investment tool that analysts use to discover undervalued companies. The ERP5 looks at the Price to Book ratio, Earnings Yield, ROIC and 5 year average ROIC. The ERP5 of Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG) is 2649. The lower the ERP5 rank, the more undervalued a company is thought to be.

Many traders use technical analysis to make stock trading decisions. One of the most popular technical indicators is the moving average. Moving averages are versatile and can be used to smooth out stock price fluctuations. Moving averages can be used to help determine underlying trends and to spot early stage directional changes. Moving averages can be observed from various time periods. Depending on the time frame used when monitoring moving averages, investors may look to identify buy and sell signals based on stock price crossovers of a particular MA. Many traders will use MA indicators alongside other technical indicators to help spot the best positions for entry and exit points.