Here at Zacks, we focus on our proven ranking system, which places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, to find winning stocks. But we also understand that investors develop their own strategies, so we are constantly looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong companies for our readers.
Considering these trends, value investing is clearly one of the most preferred ways to find strong stocks in any type of market. 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 stock to keep an eye on is Portland General Electric (POR). POR is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 12.86. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 15.80. POR's Forward P/E has been as high as 15.41 and as low as 12.04, with a median of 13.05, all within the past year.
Another valuation metric that we should highlight is POR's P/B ratio of 1.22. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This company's current P/B looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/B of 2.78. POR's P/B has been as high as 1.44 and as low as 1.13, with a median of 1.21, over the past year.
Value investors also frequently use the P/S ratio. This metric is found by dividing a stock's price with the company's revenue. Some people prefer this metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement. This means it could be a truer performance indicator. POR has a P/S ratio of 1.38. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 2.5.
Finally, our model also underscores that POR has a P/CF ratio of 5.69. 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. This company's current P/CF looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 13.53. Over the past year, POR's P/CF has been as high as 6.49 and as low as 5.28, with a median of 5.71.
Value investors will likely look at more than just these metrics, but the above data helps show that Portland General Electric is likely undervalued currently. And when considering the strength of its earnings outlook, POR sticks out as one of the market's strongest value stocks.
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Portland General Electric Company (POR): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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