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 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 stock to keep an eye on is Cenovus Energy (CVE). CVE is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 12.78. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 13.68. CVE's Forward P/E has been as high as 15.19 and as low as 6.47, with a median of 10.45, all within the past year.
We should also highlight that CVE has a P/B ratio of 1.44. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. CVE's current P/B looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/B of 1.55. Over the past year, CVE's P/B has been as high as 1.57 and as low as 0.93, with a median of 1.27.
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. CVE has a P/S ratio of 0.81. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.01.
Finally, investors should note that CVE has a P/CF ratio of 5.63. This figure highlights a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find firms that are undervalued when considering their impressive cash outlook. This stock's P/CF looks attractive against its industry's average P/CF of 5.79. Within the past 12 months, CVE's P/CF has been as high as 5.82 and as low as 3.46, with a median of 4.49.
These are only a few of the key metrics included in Cenovus Energy'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, CVE looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.
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Cenovus Energy Inc (CVE): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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