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The following are today's upgrades for Validea's P/E/Growth Investor model based on the published strategy of Peter Lynch. This strategy looks for stocks trading at a reasonable price relative to earnings growth that also possess strong balance sheets.

BELDEN INC (BDC) is a mid-cap growth stock in the Misc. Fabricated Products industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 72% to 74% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

Company Description: Belden Inc. is a global supplier of network infrastructure and digitization solutions. The Company operates through two segments: Enterprise Solutions and Industrial Automation Solutions. The Enterprise Solutions segment is a provider of network infrastructure and broadband solutions, as well as cabling and connectivity solutions for commercial audio/video and security applications. Its broadband solutions primarily serve broadband and wireless service providers. Its enterprise product lines include copper cable and connectivity solutions, fiber cable and connectivity solutions, interconnect panels, racks and enclosures, and secure, high performance signal extension and matrix switching systems. The Industrial Automation Solutions segment provides network infrastructure and digitization solutions to enable its customers to make informed decisions. Its products and solutions encompass the four aspects of data handling including acquisition, transmission, orchestration and management.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

Detailed Analysis of BELDEN INC

DOLE PLC (DOLE) is a small-cap value stock in the Food Processing industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 72% to 74% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

Company Description: Dole PLC is engaged in the sourcing, processing, distributing and marketing of fresh fruit and vegetables. The Company's segments include Fresh Fruit, Diversified Fresh Produce-EMEA and Diversified Fresh Produce-Americas & ROW. The Fresh Fruit segment sells bananas and pineapples, which are sourced from local growers or Company-owned and leased farms, predominately located in Latin America, and sold throughout North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia. The Diversified Fresh Produce-EMEA segment sells a variety of imported and local fresh fruits and vegetables through retail, wholesale and, in some instances, food service channels across the European marketplace. The Diversified Fresh Produce-Americas & ROW segment includes its United States, Canadian, Chilean, Peruvian, Argentinian and Indian businesses, all of which market globally and locally sourced fresh produce from third-party growers or Company-owned farms through retail, wholesale and food service channels globally.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

Detailed Analysis of DOLE PLC

HAMILTON INSURANCE GROUP LTD (HG) is a small-cap value stock in the Insurance (Life) industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 72% to 80% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

Company Description: Hamilton Insurance Group, Ltd. is a Bermuda-based company, which underwrites specialty insurance and reinsurance risks on a global basis through its wholly owned subsidiaries. Its products include Hamilton Re, Hamilton Global Specialty, and Hamilton Select. Hamilton Re products include Casualty Reinsurance, Property Treaty Reinsurance, Specialty Reinsurance, Casualty Insurance, Financial Lines Insurance, General Liability Reinsurance, Multiline Casualty Reinsurance, Professional Liability Reinsurance, and Aviation Reinsurance. Hamilton Global Specialty products include Accident & Health Insurance, Cyber Insurance, Excess Energy Insurance (Americas), Environmental Insurance (Americas), Environmental Insurance, Financial Institutions Insurance, Fine Art & Specie Insurance, Kidnap & Ransom Insurance, and Kidnap & Ransom Insurance (Americas). Hamilton Select products include Allied Medical Insurance, Energy Insurance, General Casualty Insurance, and Medical Professionals Insurance.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

Detailed Analysis of HAMILTON INSURANCE GROUP LTD

PREMIER FINANCIAL CORP (OHIO) (PFC) is a small-cap value stock in the Regional Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 72% to 74% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

Company Description: Premier Financial Corp. is a bank holding company that conducts business through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Premier Bank (the Bank). The Bank is primarily engaged in community banking. The Bank attracts deposits from the general public through its offices and website, and uses those and other available sources of funds to originate residential real estate loans, commercial real estate loans, commercial loans, home improvement and home equity loans and consumer loans. In addition, the Bank invests in United States Treasury and federal government agency obligations, obligations of states and political subdivisions, mortgage-backed securities that are issued by federal agencies, including real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs) and residential collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), and corporate bonds. The Bank conducts its operations through approximately 74 full-service banking center offices, 12 loan offices and two wealth offices.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

Detailed Analysis of PREMIER FINANCIAL CORP (OHIO)

CARLYLE SECURED LENDING INC (CGBD) is a small-cap value stock in the Misc. Financial Services industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 72% to 74% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

Company Description: Carlyle Secured Lending, Inc. is a closed-end, externally managed, non-diversified management investment company. The Company's investment objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation primarily through assembling a portfolio of secured debt investments in United States middle market companies. It seeks to achieve its investment objective primarily through direct origination of secured debt instruments, including first lien senior secured loans, which may include stand-alone first lien loans, first lien/last out loans and unitranche loans, and second lien senior secured loans (collectively, Middle Market Senior Loans), with a minority of its assets invested in higher yielding investments, which may include unsecured debt, subordinated debt and investments in equities. The Company is managed by its investment adviser, Carlyle Global Credit Investment Management L.L.C.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

Detailed Analysis of CARLYLE SECURED LENDING INC

CODORUS VALLEY BANCORP, INC. (CVLY) is a small-cap value stock in the Regional Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 72% to 74% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

Company Description: Codorus Valley Bancorp, Inc. is a bank holding company. PeoplesBank is its wholly owned bank subsidiary. PeoplesBank is a chartered bank that offers a full range of consumer, business, wealth management, and mortgage services at financial centers located in communities throughout South Central Pennsylvania and Central Maryland. In addition to the twenty-two full service financial centers, it has six financial centers located primarily within retirement communities that provide a full suite of services on a limited basis. The Bank provides a range of financial products and services, including commercial, mortgage, and consumer banking; trust and investment services; and insurance. The operations of the Company are conducted at banking offices in south central Virginia and north central North Carolina. Through these offices, the Company serves its primary market area of south-central Virginia, the New River Valley and Roanoke, Virginia, and north-central North Carolina.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

Detailed Analysis of CODORUS VALLEY BANCORP, INC.

About Peter Lynch: Perhaps the greatest mutual fund manager of all-time, Lynch guided Fidelity Investment's Magellan Fund to a 29.2 percent average annual return from 1977 until his retirement in 1990, almost doubling the S&P 500's 15.8 percent yearly return over that time. Lynch's common sense approach and quick wit made him one of the most quoted investors on Wall Street. ("Go for a business that any idiot can run -- because sooner or later, any idiot probably is going to run it," is one of his many pearls of wisdom.) Lynch's bestseller One Up on Wall Street is something of a "stocks for the everyman/everywoman", breaking his approach down into easy-to-understand concepts.

About Validea: Validea is aninvestment researchservice that follows the published strategies of investment legends. Validea offers both stock analysis and model portfolios based on gurus who have outperformed the market over the long-term, including Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Peter Lynch and Martin Zweig. For more information about Validea, click here

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.