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 use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks.
On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today.
One company to watch right now is Reinsurance Group of America (RGA). RGA is currently holding a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 7.54. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 8.55. Over the last 12 months, RGA's Forward P/E has been as high as 10.24 and as low as 7.17, with a median of 8.48.
Another valuation metric that we should highlight is RGA's P/B ratio of 1.02. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This stock's P/B looks solid versus its industry's average P/B of 1.96. RGA's P/B has been as high as 1.47 and as low as 0.96, with a median of 1.18, over the past year.
Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is calculated as price divided by sales. Some people prefer this metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement. This means it could be a truer performance indicator. RGA has a P/S ratio of 0.58. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.76.
These figures are just a handful of the metrics value investors tend to look at, but they help show that Reinsurance Group of America is likely being undervalued right now. Considering this, as well as the strength of its earnings outlook, RGA feels like a great value stock at the moment.
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Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (RGA): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).