What Makes Knot Offshore a Strong Momentum Stock: Buy Now？ - KNOT Offshore Partners (NYSE:KNOP)

　　Momentum investing is all about the idea of following a stock's recent trend, which can be in either direction. In the 'long' context, investors will essentially be “buying high, but hoping to sell even higher.” And for investors following 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 in that direction. The goal is that once a stock heads down a fixed path, it will lead to timely and profitable trades.

　　While many investors like to look for momentum in stocks, this can be very tough to define. There is a lot of debate surrounding which metrics are the best to focus on and which are poor quality indicators of future performance. The Zacks Momentum Style Score, part of the Zacks Style Scores, helps address this issue for us.

　　Below, we take a look at Knot OffshoreKNOP, a company that currently holds a Momentum Style Score of A. We also talk about price change and earnings estimate revisions, two of the main aspects of the Momentum Style Score.

　　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. Knot Offshore 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.

　　Set to Beat the Market？

　　Let's discuss some of the components of the Momentum Style Score for KNOP that show why this tanker company that serves the energy industry shows promise as a solid momentum pick.

　　Looking at a stock's short-term price activity is a great way to gauge if it has momentum, since this can reflect both the current interest in a stock and if buyers or sellers have the upper hand at the moment. It's also helpful to compare a security to its industry; this can show investors the best companies in a particular area.

　　For KNOP, shares are up 12.7% over the past week while the Zacks Transportation - Shipping industry is down 2.84% over the same time period. Shares are looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the monthly price change of 33.21% compares favorably with the industry's 2.36% performance as well.

　　Considering longer term price metrics, like performance over the last three months or year, can be advantageous as well. Over the past quarter, shares of Knot Offshore have risen 36.26%, and are up 33.71% in the last year. On the other hand, the S&P 500 has only moved 5% and 26.33%, respectively.

　　Investors should also pay attention to KNOP'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. KNOP is currently averaging 147,533 shares for the last 20 days.

　　Earnings Outlook

　　The Zacks Momentum Style Score also takes into account trends in estimate revisions, in addition to price changes. Please note that estimate revision trends remain at the core of Zacks Rank as well. A nice path here can help show promise, and we have recently been seeing that with KNOP.

　　Over the past two months, 1 earnings estimate moved higher compared to none lower for the full year. These revisions helped boost KNOP's consensus estimate, increasing from -$0.31 to -$0.07 in the past 60 days. Looking at the next fiscal year, 1 estimate has moved upwards while there have been no downward revisions in the same time period.

　　Bottom Line

　　Given these factors, it shouldn't be surprising that KNOP is a #1 (Strong Buy) stock and boasts a Momentum Score of A. If you're looking for a fresh pick that's set to soar in the near-term, make sure to keep Knot Offshore on your short list.

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