Exploring Three Undiscovered Gems in the Middle East

As softer oil prices have recently led to declines in most Gulf markets, the Middle East's financial landscape is navigating a complex environment influenced by global economic shifts and regional fiscal policies. Amid these fluctuations, identifying promising stocks requires a keen understanding of market dynamics and an eye for companies that exhibit resilience and potential for growth even in challenging conditions.

Top 10 Undiscovered Gems With Strong Fundamentals In The Middle East

Click here to see the full list of 188 stocks from our Middle Eastern Undiscovered Gems With Strong Fundamentals screener.

Below we spotlight a couple of our favorites from our exclusive screener.

Hilan (TASE:HLAN)

Simply Wall St Value Rating: ★★★★★★

Overview: Hilan Ltd. is a software as a service (SaaS) provider that develops solutions for managing enterprise human capital in Israel, with a market cap of ₪5.90 billion.

Operations: Hilan generates revenue primarily through its SaaS solutions for enterprise human capital management. The company has a market cap of ₪5.90 billion.

Hilan, a company with high-quality earnings, has demonstrated robust financial health by reducing its debt to equity ratio from 35.7% to 3.5% over five years and maintaining more cash than total debt. Its EBIT covers interest payments 46 times over, indicating strong profitability. Recent earnings results show sales of ILS 716 million for Q3 compared to ILS 695 million the previous year, with net income rising to ILS 55.8 million from ILS 49.08 million. Basic EPS increased to ILS 2.43 from ILS 2.14 last year, reflecting consistent growth despite slightly lagging behind industry standards in recent annual growth rates.

• Take a closer look at Hilan's potential here in our health report.

• Review our historical performance report to gain insights into Hilan's's past performance.

I.D.I. Insurance (TASE:IDIN)

Simply Wall St Value Rating: ★★★★★☆

Overview: I.D.I. Insurance Company Ltd., with a market cap of ₪3.65 billion, offers a range of insurance products and services to both individual and corporate clients in Israel.

Operations: IDIN generates revenue primarily through its insurance products and services offered to individual and corporate clients in Israel. The company has a market cap of ₪3.65 billion, reflecting its significant presence in the Israeli insurance sector.

I.D.I. Insurance has emerged as a compelling player in the insurance sector, boasting a debt-free status compared to five years ago when its debt-to-equity ratio stood at 74%. Over the past year, earnings growth reached 34.1%, slightly trailing the industry average of 35.3%. Despite this, it maintains high-quality earnings and is free cash flow positive. The company's price-to-earnings ratio of 11.9x positions it attractively below the IL market average of 15.4x, suggesting potential value for investors seeking opportunities in this space despite recent share price volatility over three months.

• Unlock comprehensive insights into our analysis of I.D.I. Insurance stock in this health report.

• Assess I.D.I. Insurance's past performance with our detailed historical performance reports.

Qualitau (TASE:QLTU)

Simply Wall St Value Rating: ★★★★★★

Overview: Qualitau Ltd develops, manufactures, and sells test equipment and services for the semiconductor industry, focusing on European and Far-Eastern markets, with a market cap of ₪2.13 billion.

Operations: Qualitau generates revenue primarily from its electronic components and parts segment, totaling $53.79 million. The company's market cap is approximately ₪2.13 billion.

In the semiconductor space, Qualitau shines with its impressive earnings growth of 41.6% over the past year, outpacing the industry average of 6.3%. The company boasts a debt-free status now compared to a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.5% five years ago, highlighting its financial discipline. Despite recent share price volatility, Qualitau's inclusion in the S&P Global BMI Index underscores its growing market recognition. With net income for Q2 at US$6.44 million compared to US$3.14 million last year and basic EPS from continuing operations doubling to US$1.442, this entity seems poised for continued performance improvement in its niche market segment.

• Click here to discover the nuances of Qualitau with our detailed analytical health report.

• Gain insights into Qualitau's past trends and performance with our Past report.

Where To Now?

• Get an in-depth perspective on all 188 Middle Eastern Undiscovered Gems With Strong Fundamentals by using our screener here.
• Have you diversified into these companies? Leverage the power of Simply Wall St's portfolio to keep a close eye on market movements affecting your investments.
• Simply Wall St is your key to unlocking global market trends, a free user-friendly app for forward-thinking investors.

Ready To Venture Into Other Investment Styles?

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• Find companies with promising cash flow potential yet trading below their fair value.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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