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Momentum investing revolves around the idea of following a stock's recent trend in either direction. In the 'long' context, investors will be essentially be "buying high, but hoping to sell even higher." With 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 that way. 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 First Horizon National (FHN), 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. First Horizon National currently has a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong 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.
You can see the current list of Zacks #1 Rank Stocks here >>>
Set to Beat the Market?
In order to see if FHN is a promising momentum pick, let's examine some Momentum Style elements to see if this bank holding company holds up.
A good momentum benchmark for a stock is to look at its short-term price activity, as this can reflect both current interest and if buyers or sellers currently have the upper hand. It's also helpful to compare a security to its industry; this can show investors the best companies in a particular area.
For FHN, shares are up 1.87% over the past week while the Zacks Banks - Southwest industry is up 0.73% over the same time period. Shares are looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the monthly price change of 7.68% compares favorably with the industry's 3.58% performance as well.
Considering longer term price metrics, like performance over the last three months or year, can be advantageous as well. Shares of First Horizon National have increased 11.54% over the past quarter, and have gained 62.89% in the last year. On the other hand, the S&P 500 has only moved 1.46% and 22.28%, respectively.
Investors should also pay attention to FHN'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. FHN is currently averaging 5,994,191 shares for the last 20 days.