News

The following are today's upgrades for Validea's Book/Market Investor model based on the published strategy of Joseph Piotroski. This value-quant strategy screens for high book-to-market stocks, and then separates out financially sound firms by looking at a host of improving financial criteria.

PORTMAN RIDGE FINANCE CORP (PTMN) is a small-cap value stock in the Misc. Financial Services industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Joseph Piotroski changed from 0% to 80% 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: Portman Ridge Finance Corporation (the Fund) is a non-diversified closed-end investment company. The Fund's investment objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation from the investments in senior secured term loans, mezzanine debt and selected equity investments in privately held middle market companies. The Fund primarily invests in first and second lien term loans. The Fund originates, structures and invests in secured term loans, bonds or notes and mezzanine debt primarily in privately held middle market companies but may also invest in other investments, such as loans to publicly traded companies, high-yield bonds and distressed debt securities (collectively, the Debt Securities Portfolio). The Fund also invests in debt and subordinated securities issued by collateralized loan obligation funds (CLO Fund Securities). The Fund's investment advisor is Sierra Crest Investment Management LLC and is an affiliate of BC Partners LLP.

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 PORTMAN RIDGE FINANCE CORP

PTMN Guru Analysis

PTMN Fundamental Analysis

RANGER ENERGY SERVICES INC (RNGR) is a small-cap value stock in the Rental & Leasing industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Joseph Piotroski changed from 0% to 90% 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: Ranger Energy Services, Inc. is a provider of onshore high specification well service rigs, wireline services, and additional processing solutions and ancillary services in the United States. The Company operates in three segments: High Specification Rigs, Wireline Services, and Processing Solutions and Ancillary Services. The High Specification Rigs provides high specification well service rigs and complementary equipment and services to facilitate operations throughout the lifecycle of a well. The Wireline Services. provides services necessary to bring and maintain a well on production and consists of its wireline completion, wireline production and pump down lines of business. The processing Solutions and Ancillary Services provides other services often utilized in conjunction with its High Specification Rigs and Wireline Services segments. These services include equipment rentals, plug and abandonment, logistics, snubbing and coil tubing, and processing solutions.

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 RANGER ENERGY SERVICES INC

RNGR Guru Analysis

RNGR Fundamental Analysis

CEMEX SAB DE CV (ADR) (CX) is a large-cap growth stock in the Construction - Raw Materials industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Joseph Piotroski changed from 0% to 80% 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: Cemex SAB de CV is a Mexico-based operating and holding company primarily engaged, directly or indirectly, through subsidiaries, in the production, distribution, marketing and sale of cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates, clinker and other globally provided construction materials. The construction-related services supply customers and communities in over 50 countries throughout the world. The Company operates in various locations, including Mexico, the United States, Europe, South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The cement production facilities are located in Mexico, the United States, Spain, Egypt, Germany, Colombia, the Philippines, Poland, the Dominican Republic, the United Kingdom, Panama, Puerto Rico, Thailand and Nicaragua. The Company is a supplier of aggregates, primarily the crushed stone, sand and gravel, used in various forms of construction.

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 CEMEX SAB DE CV (ADR)

CX Guru Analysis

CX Fundamental Analysis

Joseph Piotroski Portfolio

About Joseph Piotroski: Piotroski isn't your typical Wall Street big shot. In fact, he's not even a professional investor. He's a good old numbers-crunching accountant and college professor. But in 2000, shortly after he started teaching at the University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business, Piotroski published a groundbreaking paper in the Journal of Accounting Research entitled "Value Investing: The Use of Historical Financial Statement Information to Separate Winners from Losers". In it, Piotroski laid out an accounting-based stock-selection/shorting method that produced a 23 percent average annual back-tested return from 1976 through 1996 -- more than double the S&P 500's gain during that time. Piotroski's findings were reported in major financial publiations like SmartMoney. Today, he teaches accounting at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business.

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.