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.
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.
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.
One company value investors might notice is Miller Industries (MLR). MLR is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. The stock holds a P/E ratio of 12.52, while its industry has an average P/E of 19.69. Over the last 12 months, MLR's Forward P/E has been as high as 13.67 and as low as 7.41, with a median of 11.54.
Another valuation metric that we should highlight is MLR's P/B ratio of 1.29. 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 company's current P/B looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/B of 3.42. Over the past 12 months, MLR's P/B has been as high as 2.23 and as low as 1.10, with a median of 1.82.
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. MLR has a P/S ratio of 0.45. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.58.
Investors could also keep in mind Strattec Security (STRT), an Automotive - Original Equipment stock with a Zacks Rank of # 1 (Strong Buy) and Value grade of A.
Strattec Security is currently trading with a Forward P/E ratio of 11.70 while its PEG ratio sits at 1.17. Both of the company's metrics compare favorably to its industry's average P/E of 19.69 and average PEG ratio of 1.39.
Over the last 12 months, STRT's P/E has been as high as 26.50, as low as 8.54, with a median of 15.01, and its PEG ratio has been as high as 2.65, as low as 0.85, with a median of 1.50.
Additionally, Strattec Security has a P/B ratio of 0.98 while its industry's price-to-book ratio sits at 3.42. For STRT, this valuation metric has been as high as 0.99, as low as 0.41, with a median of 0.70 over the past year.
These are just a handful of the figures considered in Miller Industries and Strattec Security'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 MLR and STRT is an impressive value stock right now.
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Miller Industries, Inc. (MLR): Free Stock Analysis Report Strattec Security Corporation (STRT): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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