News

The following are the top rated Consumer Discretionary stocks according to Validea's Patient Investor model based on the published strategy of Warren Buffett. This strategy seeks out firms with long-term, predictable profitability and low debt that trade at reasonable valuations.

PENSKE AUTOMOTIVE GROUP, INC. (PAG) is a large-cap value stock in the Retail (Specialty) industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Warren Buffett is 86% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

Company Description: Penske Automotive Group, Inc. is a diversified international transportation services company. The Company is also engaged in automotive and commercial truck retailing. The Company operates dealerships in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Italy, and Japan and retailers of commercial trucks in North America for freightliner. The Company operates through four segments: Retail Automotive, Retail Commercial Truck, Other, and Non-Automotive Investments. The Retail Automotive segment consists of its retail automotive dealership operations. The Retail Commercial Truck segment consists of its retail commercial truck dealership operations in the United States and Canada. The Other segment consists of its commercial vehicle and power system distribution operations. The Non-Automotive Investments segment consists of its equity method investments in non-automotive operations, which includes its investment in Penske Transportation Solutions (PTS) and various other investments.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

Detailed Analysis of PENSKE AUTOMOTIVE GROUP, INC.

AUTOZONE INC (AZO) is a large-cap growth stock in the Auto & Truck Parts industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Warren Buffett is 61% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

Company Description: AutoZone, Inc. is a retailer and distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories in the Americas. Its Auto Parts Stores segment is the retailer and distributor of automotive parts and accessories through the Company's, stores in the United States, Mexico, and Brazil. Each store carries an extensive product line for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans, and light trucks, including new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products. Its other segments include ALLDATA, which produces, sells, and maintains diagnostic, repair and shop management software used in the automotive repair industry and E-commerce, which includes direct sales to customers through www.autozone.com for sales that are not fulfilled by local stores. It also provides a sales program that offers commercial credit and delivery of parts and other products. The Company has approximately 7,140 stores in the United States, Mexico, and Brazil.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

Detailed Analysis of AUTOZONE INC

About Warren Buffett: Warren Buffett is considered by many to be the greatest investor of all time. As the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett has consistently outperformed the S&P 500 for decades, and in the process has become one of the world's richest men. (Forbes puts his net worth at $37 billion.) Despite his fortune, Buffett is known for living a modest lifestyle, by billionaire standards. His primary residence remains the gray stucco Nebraska home he purchased for $31,500 nearly 50 years ago, according to Forbes, and his folksy Midwestern manner and penchant for simple pleasures -- a cherry Coke, a good burger, and a good book are all near the top of the list -- have been well-documented.

About Validea: Validea is aninvestment researchservice that follows the published strategies of investment legends. Validea offers both stock analysis and model portfolios based on gurus who have outperformed the market over the long-term, including Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Peter Lynch and Martin Zweig. For more information about Validea, click here

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.