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 rely on traditional forms of analysis on key valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are undervalued, leaving room for profits.
In addition to the Zacks Rank, investors looking for stocks with specific traits can utilize our Style Scores system. Of course, value investors will be most interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with "A" grades for Value and high Zacks Ranks are among the best value stocks available at any given moment.
One company value investors might notice is Manulife Financial Corp (MFC). MFC is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A.
Another valuation metric that we should highlight is MFC's P/B ratio of 1.67. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against 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 1.95. Over the past 12 months, MFC's P/B has been as high as 1.75 and as low as 1.43, with a median of 1.62.
Finally, investors will want to recognize that MFC has a P/CF ratio of 12.65. 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 stock's P/CF looks attractive against its industry's average P/CF of 15.36. Over the past 52 weeks, MFC's P/CF has been as high as 16.32 and as low as 11.85, with a median of 12.92.
These are only a few of the key metrics included in Manulife Financial Corp'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, MFC looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.
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Manulife Financial Corp (MFC): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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