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Itron (ITRI) is a Top-Ranked Growth Stock: Should You Buy?
ZACKS· 2025-12-15 15:45
Core Insights - Zacks Premium offers various tools for investors to enhance their stock market strategies and confidence in investing [1] Zacks Style Scores - Zacks Style Scores are indicators that rate stocks based on value, growth, and momentum methodologies, helping investors identify stocks likely to outperform the market in the next 30 days [2] - Stocks are rated from A to F, with A indicating the highest potential for outperformance [3] Value Score - The Value Style Score identifies attractive and discounted stocks using ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, and Price/Cash Flow [3] Growth Score - The Growth Style Score focuses on a company's financial strength and future outlook, analyzing projected and historical earnings, sales, and cash flow [4] Momentum Score - The Momentum Style Score helps investors capitalize on price trends, utilizing factors like one-week price changes and monthly earnings estimate changes [5] VGM Score - The VGM Score combines all three Style Scores, serving as a key indicator alongside the Zacks Rank to identify stocks with the best value, growth, and momentum [6] Zacks Rank - The Zacks Rank is a proprietary model that uses earnings estimate revisions to guide investors, with 1 (Strong Buy) stocks achieving an average annual return of +23.81% since 1988, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 [7] - There can be over 800 top-rated stocks available, making it essential to use Style Scores to narrow down choices [8] Stock Selection Strategy - To maximize returns, investors should focus on stocks with a Zacks Rank of 1 or 2 and Style Scores of A or B, while also considering the direction of earnings estimate revisions [9][10] Company Spotlight: Itron Inc - Itron Inc, founded in 1977 and based in Liberty Lake, WA, is a leading supplier of advanced metering technology and services for utility sectors [11] - Itron holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) and has a VGM Score of A, indicating solid potential [11] - The company is projected to achieve year-over-year earnings growth of 22.2% for the current fiscal year, with a recent increase in earnings estimates [12]
OKLO's Tennessee Bet Lifts Hype - But Should Investors Buy?
ZACKS· 2025-09-15 12:31
Core Insights - Oklo Inc. has gained significant attention in the nuclear energy sector, with shares rising nearly 19% following the announcement of a $1.68 billion private nuclear fuel recycling facility in Oak Ridge, TN, expected to create 800 jobs and meet the increasing demand for secure fuel supply driven by AI [1][8] - The company's stock has surged over 1200% in the past year, reflecting investor enthusiasm [1] Company Overview - Oklo is positioned at the intersection of clean energy and AI, with its small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) seen as a solution to the high energy demands of AI data centers [3] - The company has a projected 14 GW pipeline that could generate nearly $5 billion in annual revenues by 2028, focusing on owning and operating reactors rather than just selling them [5][8] - Partnerships with established companies like Liberty Energy and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power enhance Oklo's credibility in the market [5] Financial and Operational Challenges - Oklo remains a pre-revenue company, with its first commercial reactor not expected to be operational until 2027 or 2028, and the Tennessee facility projected to begin operations in the early 2030s [6][8] - The company faces an annual cash burn estimated between $65 million and $80 million, necessitating ongoing capital raises [6] - Regulatory hurdles are significant, with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission having previously rejected Oklo's application, and resubmission could lead to further delays in revenue generation [6] Market Valuation and Comparisons - Oklo's financing structure has led to dilution of existing shareholders, with a price-to-book multiple of 16.6, which is significantly higher than peers like Constellation Energy, which offers more stability and profitability [7][9] - Despite the excitement surrounding Oklo, its market premium appears stretched given the lack of revenue and the speculative nature of its business model [9][14] Earnings Outlook - Consensus estimates indicate a 32% improvement in EPS for 2025, but a subsequent drop of 11% in 2026, highlighting the absence of sustainable profits [11] - In contrast, competitors like Constellation Energy are expanding earnings through long-term contracts, while Oklo's lack of revenue visibility makes it reliant on investor sentiment [11][14]
Why Itron (ITRI) is a Top Growth Stock for the Long-Term
ZACKS· 2025-08-14 14:45
Core Insights - Zacks Premium provides tools for investors to enhance their stock market strategies, including daily updates on Zacks Rank and Industry Rank, research reports, and stock screens [1][2] Group 1: Zacks Style Scores - Zacks Style Scores rate stocks based on value, growth, and momentum, serving as complementary indicators to the Zacks Rank [2][3] - Each stock receives a rating from A to F, with A indicating the highest potential for outperforming the market [3] - The Style Scores are categorized into four types: Value Score, Growth Score, Momentum Score, and VGM Score [3][4][5][6] Group 2: Value Score - The Value Score identifies attractive stocks using ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, and Price/Cash Flow, focusing on finding undervalued stocks [3] Group 3: Growth Score - The Growth Score emphasizes a company's financial health and future outlook, analyzing projected and historical earnings, sales, and cash flow [4] Group 4: Momentum Score - The Momentum Score assesses trends in stock prices and earnings estimates, helping investors identify favorable times to invest in high-momentum stocks [5] Group 5: VGM Score - The VGM Score combines all three Style Scores, providing a comprehensive indicator for selecting stocks with strong value, growth, and momentum characteristics [6] Group 6: Zacks Rank - The Zacks Rank is a proprietary model based on earnings estimate revisions, with 1 (Strong Buy) stocks achieving an average annual return of +23.75% since 1988, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 [7][8] - Investors are encouraged to select stocks with a Zacks Rank of 1 or 2 and Style Scores of A or B for optimal returns [9] Group 7: Stock Highlight - Itron Inc (ITRI) - Itron Inc, a technology and services company, is rated 2 (Buy) on the Zacks Rank and has a VGM Score of A [11] - The company is projected to have a year-over-year earnings growth of 4.8% for the current fiscal year, with recent earnings estimates revised upward [12] - Itron has an average earnings surprise of +32.5%, making it a strong candidate for growth investors [12]