The proven Zacks Rank system focuses on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find winning stocks. Nevertheless, we know that our readers all have their own perspectives, so we are always looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong picks.
Looking at the history of these trends, perhaps none is more beloved than value investing. This strategy simply looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader market. Value investors rely on traditional forms of analysis on key valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are undervalued, leaving room for profits.
Luckily, Zacks has developed its own Style Scores system in an effort to find stocks with specific traits. Value investors will be interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with both "A" grades in the Value category and high Zacks Ranks are among the strongest value stocks on the market right now.
One company value investors might notice is APA (APA). APA is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and an A for Value. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 8.22, which compares to its industry's average of 10.20. Over the past 52 weeks, APA's Forward P/E has been as high as 8.88 and as low as 4.09, with a median of 6.45.
Investors should also recognize that APA has a P/B ratio of 1.23. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This company's current P/B looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/B of 2.79. APA's P/B has been as high as 1.63 and as low as 0.79, with a median of 1.20, over the past year.
Value investors also frequently use the P/S ratio. This metric is found by dividing a stock's price with the company's revenue. This is a popular metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement, so they are often considered a better performance indicator. APA has a P/S ratio of 1.85. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.88.
Value investors will likely look at more than just these metrics, but the above data helps show that APA is likely undervalued currently. And when considering the strength of its earnings outlook, APA sticks out as one of the market's strongest value stocks.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).