While the proven Zacks Rank places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find strong stocks, we also know that investors tend to develop their own individual strategies. With this in mind, we are always looking at value, growth, and momentum trends to discover great companies.
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.
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 to watch right now is SunCoke Energy (SXC). SXC is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy) and a Value grade of A.
Another valuation metric that we should highlight is SXC’s P/B ratio of 0.79. 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 1.28. Over the past 12 months, SXC’s P/B has been as high as 1.39 and as low as 0.74, with a median of 1.09.
Value investors also love the P/S ratio, which is calculated by simply dividing a stock’s price with the company’s 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. SXC has a P/S ratio of 0.4. This compares to its industry’s average P/S of 0.58.
Finally, investors will want to recognize that SXC has a P/CF ratio of 1.89. This metric takes into account a company’s operating cash flow and can be used to find stocks that are undervalued based on their solid cash outlook. SXC’s current P/CF looks attractive when compared to its industry’s average P/CF of 2.69. Over the past year, SXC’s P/CF has been as high as 3.59 and as low as 1.75, with a median of 2.72.
Value investors will likely look at more than just these metrics, but the above data helps show that SunCoke Energy is likely undervalued currently. And when considering the strength of its earnings outlook, SXC sticks out at as one of the market’s strongest value stocks.
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