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.
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.
On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today.
Manulife Financial Corp (MFC) is a stock many investors are watching right now. MFC is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), as well as an A grade for Value.
Investors should also recognize that MFC has a 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. MFC's current P/B looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/B of 1.89. MFC's P/B has been as high as 1.75 and as low as 1.43, with a median of 1.62, over the past year.
Finally, investors should note that MFC has a P/CF ratio of 12.65. 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. MFC's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 17.96. MFC's P/CF has been as high as 16.32 and as low as 11.85, with a median of 12.92, all within the past year.
These are just a handful of the figures considered in Manulife Financial Corp'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 MFC is an impressive value stock right now.
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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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