Piper Sandler

Piper Sandler Cos earns a 4-star quantitative star rating, reflecting our opinion that this share class offers a somewhat attractive opportunity for investors. The stock currently trades at a 17% discount to our quantitative fair value estimate of $78.91 per share; however, caution is warranted due to this estimate's high uncertainty rating.

The firm's profitability bolsters our estimated valuation. Highly profitable companies are often more resilient in recessions and are likely to generate stronger future cash flows for shareholders. For example, the firm's earnings yield of 7.2% ranks in the top 40% globally. This suggests that it is generating substantial earnings relative to its share price, which contributes to our view that shares are undervalued.

Conversely, the firm's valuation metrics are potentially concerning. A company's valuation metrics provide insights into the market's expectations for its future growth and profitability. The firm's enterprise value to market value ratio of 1.0, for example, falls in the bottom 50% compared with global peers. The market value of equity makes up a large fraction of enterprise value, indicating that shares have sharply risen, or that the company has a "lazy" balance sheet that is underleveraged. Despite our favorable price/fair value ratio, this characteristic is a negative attribute.

The company's narrow quantitative moat rating indicates it could outearn its cost of capital and maintain robust margins for 10 years or longer. In addition, the company's moderate financial health score is decent and doesn't seriously concern us with regard to financial distress.