Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore 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 use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.
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 to watch right now is Barnes & Noble Education (BNED). BNED is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), as well as a Value grade of A.
Another notable valuation metric for BNED is its P/B ratio of 1.12. The P/B is a method of comparing a stock's market value to its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. BNED's current P/B looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/B of 3.09. Within the past 52 weeks, BNED's P/B has been as high as 2.05 and as low as 0.89, with a median of 1.33.
Value investors also frequently use the P/S ratio. This metric is found by dividing a stock's price with the company's revenue. Some people prefer this metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement. This means it could be a truer performance indicator. BNED has a P/S ratio of 0.27. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.63.
These are only a few of the key metrics included in Barnes & Noble Education's strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, BNED looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.
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Barnes & Noble Education, Inc (BNED): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).