California Water Service Group

California Water Service Group earns a 3-star quantitative star rating, illustrating our stance that this share class is a balanced choice, but prudent investors should consider looking elsewhere. The stock currently trades at a 10% discount to our quantitative fair value estimate of $50.83 per share, which is reinforced by this estimate's low uncertainty rating. We require the price/fair value ratio to move a certain amount before the star rating can change. This stability-enhancing buffer is in effect for this stock.

The firm's valuation metrics increase our estimated fair value. A company's valuation metrics provide insights into the market's expectations for its future growth and profitability. Reflecting the firm's valuation is its enterprise value to market value ratio of 1.6, which falls in the top 20% compared with global peers. While highly leveraged firms can be risky, they can also be highly rewarding. This company's high enterprise value relative to its market value suggests that wise investments will yield outsize returns for investors. We believe this is a sign that shares could be undervalued.

The firm's solid growth is an additional encouraging factor. Consistent revenue and earnings growth indicates a company's potential for increased market share and profitability. The firm's EBIT 3-year growth of 114.1%, for example, sits in the top 10% compared with peers globally. Earnings before interest and taxes growth over the past three years has proved robust, bolstering the long-term value of the business. This characteristic further promotes our favorable price/fair value ratio.

In addition to the aforementioned drivers, our model considers momentum as part of its comprehensive analysis. This share class has outperformed the broader universe over the past year. While we believe the stock is undervalued, this outperformance had a negative impact on our valuation estimate.

With its quantitative economic moat rating of none, this business is unlikely to consistently outearn its cost of capital without structural protection from competition. Additionally, the firm's moderate financial health score suggests it is acceptably positioned against adverse economic circumstances.