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, value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. 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 Amphastar Pharmaceuticals (AMPH). AMPH is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), as well as an A grade for Value. The stock holds a P/E ratio of 7.81, while its industry has an average P/E of 14.54. Over the last 12 months, AMPH's Forward P/E has been as high as 12.02 and as low as 6.09, with a median of 8.31.
Another valuation metric that we should highlight is AMPH's P/B ratio of 1.72. 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. This stock's P/B looks solid versus its industry's average P/B of 4.16. AMPH's P/B has been as high as 3.57 and as low as 1.28, with a median of 1.87, over the past year.
Finally, investors will want to recognize that AMPH has a P/CF ratio of 6.90. This data point considers a firm's operating cash flow and is frequently used to find companies that are undervalued when considering their solid cash outlook. AMPH's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 13.78. Over the past year, AMPH's P/CF has been as high as 12.69 and as low as 5.15, with a median of 7.33.
These are just a handful of the figures considered in Amphastar Pharmaceuticals's great Value grade. Still, they help show that the stock is likely being undervalued at the moment. Add this to the strength of its earnings outlook, and we can clearly see that AMPH is an impressive value stock right now.
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Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMPH): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).