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.
Of these, perhaps no stock market trend is more popular than value investing, which is a strategy that has proven to be successful in all sorts of market environments. Value investors use fundamental analysis and traditional valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are being undervalued by the market at large.
Zacks has developed the innovative Style Scores system to highlight stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will be interested in stocks with great grades in the "Value" category. When paired with a high Zacks Rank, "A" grades in the Value category are among the strongest value stocks on the market today.
One company value investors might notice is CF Industries (CF). CF is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and an A for Value. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 11.87. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 13.99. Over the past year, CF's Forward P/E has been as high as 16.16 and as low as 11.10, with a median of 14.29.
Investors should also note that CF holds a PEG ratio of 0.39. This figure is similar to the commonly-used P/E ratio, with the PEG ratio also factoring in a company's expected earnings growth rate. CF's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 0.72. CF's PEG has been as high as 2.67 and as low as 0.30, with a median of 0.67, all within the past year.
Another valuation metric that we should highlight is CF's P/B ratio of 1.84. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus 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 2.30. Over the past 12 months, CF's P/B has been as high as 2.38 and as low as 1.59, with a median of 1.93.
Finally, investors will want to recognize that CF has a P/CF ratio of 6.29. This metric focuses on a firm's operating cash flow and is often used to find stocks that are undervalued based on the strength of their cash outlook. This company's current P/CF looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 11.91. Within the past 12 months, CF's P/CF has been as high as 8.02 and as low as 5.19, with a median of 6.93.
These are only a few of the key metrics included in CF Industries'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, CF looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.
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CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (CF): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).