Free Annual Reports
CBL & Associates Properties Among Real Estate Operations' Biggest Movers on October 5, 2012
The market is currently up, with the Nasdaq climbing 0.2%, the S&P 500 moving up 0.5% and the Dow rising 0.5%.
The Real Estate Operations sector (IYR) is up 0.6%, outperforming the market overall. The biggest movers in the sector so far are:
Beginner's Guide To FXCM And Trading Station
Zillow (Nasdaq:Z) has risen 3.3% and is currently trading at $38.71 per share. This morning, the company is trading a volume of 672,694 shares. In technical analysis, trading volume is used to determine the strength of a market indicator. Investment valuation ratios can be very useful in determining the value of a stock, but it is very important to keep in mind that while some financial ratios have general rules (or a broad application), in most instances it is a prudent practice to look at a company's historical performance and use peer company/industry comparisons to put any given company's ratio in perspective. The debt ratio measures the leverage of a company, and a company's leverage is a good way to assess risk. Z has a low debt ratio of 16.5%. A low debt ratio means the company has more available cash flow. As with all financial ratios, a company's debt ratio should be compared with the industry average or similar companies.
W. P (NYSE:WPC) is at $51.59 per share after an increase of 2.7%. At 249,681 shares, the company's volume so far today is 0.3 times its current daily average. Volume is an important indicator in technical analysis as it is used to measure the worth of a market move. If the markets have made a strong price move either up or down the perceived strength of that move depends on the volume for that period. The higher the volume during that price move the more significant the move. A wide array of ratios can be used by investors to estimate the attractiveness of a potential or existing investment and get an idea of its valuation. The debt-equity (D/E) ratio compares the total liabilities for a company to its total shareholder equity. WPC has a D/E ratio of 83%. This easy-to-calculate ratio provides a general indication of a company's equity-liability relationship and is helpful to investors looking for a quick take on a company's leverage.
Increasing 2%, CBL & Associates Properties (NYSE:CBL) is trading at $21.61 per share. The company is trading at a volume of 366,482 shares. This is about the same trading activity as there was yesterday. When a stock price moves up or down, watching the volume is a good way of identifying how significant that shift is. Investors can make use of valuation ratios to estimate whether a stock is fairly valued. The capitalization ratio is calculated by dividing long-term debt by the sum of long-term debt and shareholders' equity. CBL has a capitalization ratio of 78.7%, which is on the high end. A high capitalization ratio is not necessarily bad since higher financial leverage can increase the return on a shareholder's investment. This ratio is considered to be one of the more meaningful of the "debt" ratios - it delivers the key insight into the use of leverage by a company.
Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS) has risen 1.7% to hit a current price of $44.64 per share. The company's volume for the day so far is 11,646 shares, 0.2 times the average volume over the last three months. If a stock is trading on low volume, then there is not much interest in the stock. On the other hand, if a stock is trading on high volume, then there is a lot of interest in the stock. Looking at a company's valuation ratios is a good way of getting a basic idea as to its value as an investment. The dividend yield is measured by taking the annual dividends per share and dividing that number by the stock price. BFS has a dividend yield of 3.3%. To calculate the dividend yield, divide the level of dividends by the stock price; the higher the yield, the more attractive the security. SEE: Guide To Stock-Picking Strategies: Income Investing
After an increase of 1.5%, American Assets Trust (NYSE:AAT) has reached a current price of $27.86. The company is currently trading a volume of 21,939 shares. If a stock price makes a big move up or down, volume lets us know the significance of that move. When estimating the value of a particular investment, valuation ratios provide a good basis for assessing the value of an individual stock. As with most ratios, comparisons of company price/earnings to growth ratios (PEG ratios) are most appropriate for similar companies. AAT's PEG ratio is 30.62. Because of the adjustment for earnings growth rate, the PEG ratio is somewhat more useful than many formulas for comparing companies in different industries.
Universal Health Realty (NYSE:UHT) is up 1.5% to reach a current price of $48.35 per share. So far today, the company's volume is 7,001 shares, 0.1 times the average daily volume. Volume is an important indicator because it indicates how significant a price shift is. Investors can use valuation ratios as tools to estimate what kind of deal a particular investment is. The price/book value ratio provides a way of evaluating whether a stock is relatively cheap or expensive. UHT's P/B ratio of 3.3 shows that its share price is higher than its book value. This high share price relative to asset value is likely to indicate that the company has been earning a very high return on its assets. One problem with the P/B value ratio is that it can be difficult to calculate the true book value of a company, so investors should be aware that many measures of book value may provide only a rough estimate, and should be taken with a grain of salt. SEE: Using The Price-To-Book Ratio To Evaluate Companies
FirstService Corporation (Nasdaq:FSRV) is down 1% to reach $30.54 per share. The company's volume for the day so far is 4,529 shares. This is a sign that there will be less trading activity than there was yesterday. As a stock moves up or down, it is important to pay attention to the trading volume. This indicates the level of interest: the higher the volume, the more the interest. Investment valuation ratios can be very useful in estimating whether a stock price is too high, reasonable or a bargain investment opportunity. There are generally two price/earnings ratios calculated: the first, called the trailing Price/Earnings ratio, is calculated using the previous years actual earnings; the second, called forward Price/Earnings ratio, is calculated using the next year's estimated earnings. Compared to the industry average of 10.16, FSRV's P/E ratio of 15.6 is quite high. This could mean that the market is expecting big things over the next few months or years. High P/E stocks could be "growth" stocks, while low PE stocks may be "value" stocks. SEE: Can Investors Trust the P/E Ratio?
The Bottom Line On any given day, a particular stock may see positive or negative change in its share price. It is important to weigh current activity against historical performance when making any investment decisions. However, these fundamental metrics must be analyzed with historic data, industry information in addition to firm specific financial statements.
The Real Estate Operations sector (IYR) is up 0.6%, outperforming the market overall. The biggest movers in the sector so far are:
| Company | Market Cap | Percentage Change |
| Zillow (Nasdaq:Z) | $1.25 billion | +3.3% |
| W. P (NYSE:WPC) | $2.03 billion | +2.7% |
| CBL & Associates Properties (NYSE:CBL) | $3.36 billion | +2% |
| Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS) | $868.8 million | +1.7% |
| American Assets Trust (NYSE:AAT) | $1.08 billion | +1.5% |
| Universal Health Realty (NYSE:UHT) | $604.4 million | +1.5% |
| FirstService Corporation (Nasdaq:FSRV) | $885.2 million | -1% |
Zillow (Nasdaq:Z) has risen 3.3% and is currently trading at $38.71 per share. This morning, the company is trading a volume of 672,694 shares. In technical analysis, trading volume is used to determine the strength of a market indicator. Investment valuation ratios can be very useful in determining the value of a stock, but it is very important to keep in mind that while some financial ratios have general rules (or a broad application), in most instances it is a prudent practice to look at a company's historical performance and use peer company/industry comparisons to put any given company's ratio in perspective. The debt ratio measures the leverage of a company, and a company's leverage is a good way to assess risk. Z has a low debt ratio of 16.5%. A low debt ratio means the company has more available cash flow. As with all financial ratios, a company's debt ratio should be compared with the industry average or similar companies.
W. P (NYSE:WPC) is at $51.59 per share after an increase of 2.7%. At 249,681 shares, the company's volume so far today is 0.3 times its current daily average. Volume is an important indicator in technical analysis as it is used to measure the worth of a market move. If the markets have made a strong price move either up or down the perceived strength of that move depends on the volume for that period. The higher the volume during that price move the more significant the move. A wide array of ratios can be used by investors to estimate the attractiveness of a potential or existing investment and get an idea of its valuation. The debt-equity (D/E) ratio compares the total liabilities for a company to its total shareholder equity. WPC has a D/E ratio of 83%. This easy-to-calculate ratio provides a general indication of a company's equity-liability relationship and is helpful to investors looking for a quick take on a company's leverage.
Increasing 2%, CBL & Associates Properties (NYSE:CBL) is trading at $21.61 per share. The company is trading at a volume of 366,482 shares. This is about the same trading activity as there was yesterday. When a stock price moves up or down, watching the volume is a good way of identifying how significant that shift is. Investors can make use of valuation ratios to estimate whether a stock is fairly valued. The capitalization ratio is calculated by dividing long-term debt by the sum of long-term debt and shareholders' equity. CBL has a capitalization ratio of 78.7%, which is on the high end. A high capitalization ratio is not necessarily bad since higher financial leverage can increase the return on a shareholder's investment. This ratio is considered to be one of the more meaningful of the "debt" ratios - it delivers the key insight into the use of leverage by a company.
Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS) has risen 1.7% to hit a current price of $44.64 per share. The company's volume for the day so far is 11,646 shares, 0.2 times the average volume over the last three months. If a stock is trading on low volume, then there is not much interest in the stock. On the other hand, if a stock is trading on high volume, then there is a lot of interest in the stock. Looking at a company's valuation ratios is a good way of getting a basic idea as to its value as an investment. The dividend yield is measured by taking the annual dividends per share and dividing that number by the stock price. BFS has a dividend yield of 3.3%. To calculate the dividend yield, divide the level of dividends by the stock price; the higher the yield, the more attractive the security. SEE: Guide To Stock-Picking Strategies: Income Investing
After an increase of 1.5%, American Assets Trust (NYSE:AAT) has reached a current price of $27.86. The company is currently trading a volume of 21,939 shares. If a stock price makes a big move up or down, volume lets us know the significance of that move. When estimating the value of a particular investment, valuation ratios provide a good basis for assessing the value of an individual stock. As with most ratios, comparisons of company price/earnings to growth ratios (PEG ratios) are most appropriate for similar companies. AAT's PEG ratio is 30.62. Because of the adjustment for earnings growth rate, the PEG ratio is somewhat more useful than many formulas for comparing companies in different industries.
Universal Health Realty (NYSE:UHT) is up 1.5% to reach a current price of $48.35 per share. So far today, the company's volume is 7,001 shares, 0.1 times the average daily volume. Volume is an important indicator because it indicates how significant a price shift is. Investors can use valuation ratios as tools to estimate what kind of deal a particular investment is. The price/book value ratio provides a way of evaluating whether a stock is relatively cheap or expensive. UHT's P/B ratio of 3.3 shows that its share price is higher than its book value. This high share price relative to asset value is likely to indicate that the company has been earning a very high return on its assets. One problem with the P/B value ratio is that it can be difficult to calculate the true book value of a company, so investors should be aware that many measures of book value may provide only a rough estimate, and should be taken with a grain of salt. SEE: Using The Price-To-Book Ratio To Evaluate Companies
FirstService Corporation (Nasdaq:FSRV) is down 1% to reach $30.54 per share. The company's volume for the day so far is 4,529 shares. This is a sign that there will be less trading activity than there was yesterday. As a stock moves up or down, it is important to pay attention to the trading volume. This indicates the level of interest: the higher the volume, the more the interest. Investment valuation ratios can be very useful in estimating whether a stock price is too high, reasonable or a bargain investment opportunity. There are generally two price/earnings ratios calculated: the first, called the trailing Price/Earnings ratio, is calculated using the previous years actual earnings; the second, called forward Price/Earnings ratio, is calculated using the next year's estimated earnings. Compared to the industry average of 10.16, FSRV's P/E ratio of 15.6 is quite high. This could mean that the market is expecting big things over the next few months or years. High P/E stocks could be "growth" stocks, while low PE stocks may be "value" stocks. SEE: Can Investors Trust the P/E Ratio?
The Bottom Line On any given day, a particular stock may see positive or negative change in its share price. It is important to weigh current activity against historical performance when making any investment decisions. However, these fundamental metrics must be analyzed with historic data, industry information in addition to firm specific financial statements.
by
Investopedia Staff
Investopedia.com believes that individuals can excel at managing their financial affairs. As such, we strive to provide free educational content and tools to empower individual investors, including thousands of original and objective articles and tutorials on a wide variety of financial topics.
Free Annual Reports
