P/E Ratio: 43
Yield: 0%
We have no idea whether the Florida real estate market has hit rock bottom, but we do know that eventually it will bounce back. Demographics demand it, with the Census Bureau projecting a 33% population increase for Florida between now and 2020. And when Florida real estate does rebound, investors will be kicking themselves for not recognizing today's $28 stock price for St. Joe Co. - Florida's largest private landowner - as a rare opportunity. The stock traded as high as $82 in July 2005.
The way to value St. Joe isn't on its current earnings (which are awful) but on its land holdings. The company owns 710,000 acres of Florida real estate, mostly in the Panhandle region, 310,000 of which are situated within ten miles of the coast. Moreover, St. Joe's Panhandle stronghold looks as though it will recover faster than the overall Florida market. In Panama City, for example, the number of home sales increased 4% between October 2006 and October 2007, vs. a 29% decline statewide.
Last updated January 02 2008: 5:32 PM ET
