U.S. Bancorp Is A Great Momentum Stock: Should You Buy?

Momentum investing is all about the idea of following a stock's recent trend, which can be in either direction. In the 'long' context, investors will essentially be "buying high, but hoping to sell even higher." And for investors following this methodology, taking advantage of trends in a stock's price is key; once a stock establishes a course, it is more than likely to continue moving in that direction. The goal is that once a stock heads down a fixed path, it will lead to timely and profitable trades.

Even though momentum is a popular stock characteristic, it can be tough to define. Debate surrounding which are the best and worst metrics to focus on is lengthy, but the Zacks Momentum Style Score, part of the Zacks Style Scores, helps address this issue for us.

Below, we take a look at U.S. Bancorp USB, which currently has a Momentum Style Score of B. We also discuss some of the main drivers of the Momentum Style Score, like price change and earnings estimate revisions.

It's also important to note that Style Scores work as a complement to the Zacks Rank, our stock rating system that has an impressive track record of outperformance. U.S. Bancorp currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Our research shows that stocks rated Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and #2 (Buy) and Style Scores of A or B outperform the market over the following one-month period.

Set to Beat the Market?

In order to see if USB is a promising momentum pick, let's examine some Momentum Style elements to see if this company holds up.

Looking at a stock's short-term price activity is a great way to gauge if it has momentum, since this can reflect both the current interest in a stock and if buyers or sellers have the upper hand at the moment. It's also helpful to compare a security to its industry; this can show investors the best companies in a particular area.

For USB, shares are up 0.21% over the past week while the Zacks Banks - Major Regional industry is up 0.33% over the same time period. Shares are looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the monthly price change of 6.12% compares favorably with the industry's 4.51% performance as well.

While any stock can see a spike in price, it takes a real winner to consistently outperform the market. Over the past quarter, shares of U.S. Bancorp have risen 13.79%, and are up 33.8% in the last year. On the other hand, the S&P 500 has only moved 7.29% and 32.85%, respectively.

Investors should also pay attention to USB's average 20-day trading volume. Volume is a useful item in many ways, and the 20-day average establishes a good price-to-volume baseline; a rising stock with above average volume is generally a bullish sign, whereas a declining stock on above average volume is typically bearish. USB is currently averaging 8,694,755 shares for the last 20 days.

Earnings Outlook

The Zacks Momentum Style Score also takes into account trends in estimate revisions, in addition to price changes. Please note that estimate revision trends remain at the core of Zacks Rank as well. A nice path here can help show promise, and we have recently been seeing that with USB.

Over the past two months, 6 earnings estimates moved higher compared to 1 lower for the full year. These revisions helped boost USB's consensus estimate, increasing from $3.86 to $3.92 in the past 60 days. Looking at the next fiscal year, 8 estimates have moved upwards while there have been 1 downward revision in the same time period.

Bottom Line

Given these factors, it shouldn't be surprising that USB is a #2 (Buy) stock and boasts a Momentum Score of B. If you're looking for a fresh pick that's set to soar in the near-term, make sure to keep U.S. Bancorp on your short list.

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