For the investor seeking dividend income, Stanley Black & Decker Inc (SWK) appears to be currently undervalued and this might be an appropriate time to further research this company for your dividend portfolio.

About Stanley Black & Decker Inc: Directly from their website

"Stanley Black & Decker, an S&P 500 company, is a diversified global provider of hand tools, power tools and related accessories, mechanical access solutions and electronic security solutions, engineered fastening systems, and more."

Earnings Determine Market Price: The following earnings and price correlated FAST Graphs™ clearly illustrates the importance of earnings. The Earnings Growth Rate Line or True Worth™ Line (orange line with white triangles) is correlated with the historical stock price line. On graph after graph the lines will move in tandem. If the stock price strays away from the earnings line (over or under), inevitably it will come back to earnings.

Earnings & Price Correlated Fundamentals-at-a-Glance

A quick glance at the historical earnings and price correlated FAST Graphs™ on Stanley Black & Decker Inc shows a picture of undervaluation based upon the historical earnings growth rate of 6.6% (orange circle) and a current PE of 13.4. Analysts are forecasting the earnings growth to continue at about 11.9%, and when you look at the forecasting graph below, the stock appears undervalued, (it's inside of the value corridor of the five orange lines - based on future growth).

Stanley Black & Decker Inc: Historical Earnings, Price, Dividends and Normal PE Since 1998

Performance Table Stanley Black & Decker Inc

The associated performance results with the earnings and price correlated graph, validates the principles regarding the two components of total return; capital appreciation and dividend income. Dividends are included in the total return calculation and are assumed paid, but not reinvested.

When presented separately like this, the additional rate of return a dividend paying stock produces for shareholders becomes undeniably evident. In addition to the 2.9% capital appreciation (green circle), long-term shareholders of Stanley Black & Decker Inc, assuming an initial investment of $1,000, would have received an additional $333.12 in dividends (blue highlighting) that increased their total return from 2.9% to 4.3% per annum versus 4% in the S&P 500.

The following graph plots the historically normal PE ratio (the dark blue line) in conjunction with 10-year Treasury note interest. Notice that the current price earnings ratio on this quality company is as normal as it has been since 1998.

A further indication of valuation can be seen by examining a company's current price to sales ratio relative to its historical price to sales ratio. The current price to sales ratio for Stanley Black & Decker Inc is 1.11 which is historically normal.

Looking to the Future

Extensive research has provided a preponderance of conclusive evidence that future long-term returns are a function of two critical determinants:

1. The rate of change (growth rate) of the company's earnings

2. The price or valuation you pay to buy those earnings

Forecasting future earnings growth, bought at sound valuations, is the key to safe, sound, and profitable performance.

The Estimated Earnings and Return Calculator Tool is a simple yet powerful resource that empowers the user to calculate and run various investing scenarios that generate precise rate of return potentialities. Thinking the investment through to its logical conclusion is an important component towards making sound and prudent commonsense investing decisions.

The consensus of 15 leading analysts reporting to Capital IQ forecast Stanley Black & Decker Inc's long-term earnings growth at 11.9% (orange circle). Stanley Black & Decker Inc has low long-term debt at 29% of capital (red circle). Stanley Black & Decker Inc is currently trading at a P/E of 13.4, which is inside the value corridor (defined by the five orange lines) of a maximum P/E of 18 (orange arrow). If the earnings materialize as forecast, Stanley Black & Decker Inc's True Worth™ valuation would be $149.58 at the end of 2017 (brown circle on EYE Chart), which would be a 17.1% annual rate of return from the current price (yellow highlighting).

Earnings Yield Estimates

Discounted Future Cash Flows: All companies derive their value from the future cash flows (earnings) they are capable of generating for their stakeholders over time. Therefore, because Earnings Determine Market Price in the long run, we expect the future earnings of a company to justify the price we pay.

Since all investments potentially compete with all other investments, it is useful to compare investing in any prospective company to that of a comparable investment in low risk Treasury bonds. Comparing an investment in Stanley Black & Decker Inc to an equal investment in 10 year Treasury bonds, illustrates that Stanley Black & Decker Inc's expected earnings would be .2 (purple circle) times that of the 10 Year T-Bond Interest. (See EYE chart below). This is the essence of the importance of proper valuation as a critical investing component.

Summary & Conclusions

This report presented essential "fundamentals at a glance" illustrating the past and present valuation based on earnings achievements as reported. Future forecasts for earnings growth are based on the consensus of leading analysts. Although, with just a quick glance you can know a lot about the company, it's imperative that the reader conducts their own due diligence in order to validate whether the consensus estimates seem reasonable or not.

Disclosure: No positions at the time of writing.