While ModernGraham supports the bottom-up approach to investing, many investors do utilize the top-down method, whereby an industry is selected before the company itself. With that in mind, this article will take a brief look at the best companies of the auto industry, selecting the most promising investment opportunities within the industry, and giving a broad look into the industry as a whole.

Out of the more than 560 companies reviewed by ModernGraham, 15 were identified as being closely related to the auto industry. Of those, only two are suitable for the Defensive Investor, two are suitable for the Enterprising Investor, and the remaining eleven are considered speculative at this time. Excluding any extreme outliers, the average company was rated as being priced at 49.79% to its MG Value (estimated intrinsic value), with an average PEmg ratio of 17.91. The industry as a whole, therefore would appear to be undervalued, particularly in comparison to the market (see Mr. Market’s Mental State).

The Elite

The following companies have been rated as undervalued and suitable for either the Defensive Investor or the Enterprising Investor:

CBS Corporation (CBS)

CBS Corporation qualifies for the Enterprising Investor but is not suitable for the more conservative Defensive Investor.  The Defensive Investor is concerned with the low current ratio, insufficient earnings growth or stability over the last ten years, and the high PB ratio. The Enterprising Investor is only concerned with the level of debt relative to the net current assets. As a result, all Enterprising Investors following the ModernGraham approach based on Benjamin Graham’s methods should feel comfortable proceeding with further research into the company.

As for a valuation, the company appears to be undervalued after growing its EPSmg (normalized earnings) from a loss of $1.23 in 2011 to an estimated gain of $3.53 for 2015. This level of demonstrated earnings growth outpaces the market’s implied estimate of 2.84% annual earnings growth over the next 7-10 years. As a result, the ModernGraham valuation model, based on Benjamin Graham’s formula, returns an estimate of intrinsic value above the price. (See the full valuation)