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.
Of these, value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. Value investors use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.
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 Telefonica (TEF). TEF is currently holding a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 13.04. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 20.36. TEF's Forward P/E has been as high as 15.66 and as low as 11.65, with a median of 13.35, all within the past year.
Investors should also note that TEF holds a PEG ratio of 0.76. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. TEF's industry has an average PEG of 1.63 right now. TEF's PEG has been as high as 0.77 and as low as 0.71, with a median of 0.76, all within the past year.
We should also highlight that TEF has a P/B ratio of 1.19. The P/B is a method of comparing a stock's market value to its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This stock's P/B looks attractive against its industry's average P/B of 2.38. Over the past year, TEF's P/B has been as high as 1.21 and as low as 0.82, with a median of 0.98.
Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is calculated as price divided by sales. This is a popular metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement, so they are often considered a better performance indicator. TEF has a P/S ratio of 0.71. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.39.
These figures are just a handful of the metrics value investors tend to look at, but they help show that Telefonica is likely being undervalued right now. Considering this, as well as the strength of its earnings outlook, TEF feels like a great value stock at the moment.
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Telefonica SA (TEF): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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