Powell Warns of Valuation Risks: 5 High Earnings Yield Value Picks

Core Insights - The U.S. Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 25 basis points after nearly nine months, initially boosting investor sentiment, but the S&P 500 ended a three-day rally shortly after [1] - Fed Chair Jerome Powell indicated that stock valuations remain high and the future of rate cuts is uncertain, while the labor market shows signs of slowing with moderating job growth and slightly rising unemployment [2] Value Investing Focus - In the current environment, a value investing approach focusing on quality companies at reasonable prices is particularly relevant [2] - Recommended stocks for value investors include Halozyme Therapeutics, Ranger Energy Services, Buenaventura Mining Company, Affiliated Managers Group, and LATAM Airlines Group, all of which exhibit high earnings yield [3] Earnings Yield Metric - Earnings yield is calculated as (Annual Earnings per Share/Market Price) x 100, indicating the anticipated return from earnings for each dollar invested [4] - A higher earnings yield suggests a stock is underpriced compared to those with lower earnings yield, which are seen as overpriced [4] Market Comparison - Earnings yield can be compared with the 10-year Treasury yield to assess the relative attractiveness of stocks versus bonds; when the market index yield exceeds the Treasury yield, stocks may be undervalued [5] Stock Screening Criteria - A primary screening criterion is an earnings yield greater than 10%, supplemented by estimated EPS growth for the next 12 months being greater than or equal to the S&P 500 [6] - Additional criteria include an average daily volume of at least 100,000 and a current price of $5 or more [7][8] Selected Stocks - Halozyme Therapeutics (HALO) is focused on oncology treatments, with projected earnings growth of 46% and 22.5% for 2025 and 2026, respectively [9] - Ranger Energy Services (RNGR) specializes in onshore well services, with expected earnings growth of 53% and 11.3% for 2025 and 2026 [11] - Buenaventura Mining Company (BVN) anticipates earnings growth of 4.4% and 17.7% for 2025 and 2026 [12] - Affiliated Managers Group (AMG) projects earnings growth of 13% and 15% for 2025 and 2026 [13] - LATAM Airlines Group (LTM) expects earnings growth of 45% and 19% for 2025 and 2026 [14]