Are Investors Undervaluing These Finance Stocks Right Now?

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.

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 stock to keep an eye on is First Guaranty Bancshares (FGBI). FGBI is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 8.14, which compares to its industry's average of 13.72. Over the last 12 months, FGBI's Forward P/E has been as high as 11.69 and as low as 8.01, with a median of 9.61.

Another notable valuation metric for FGBI is its P/B ratio of 1.17. 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 company's current P/B looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/B of 1.97. Over the past 12 months, FGBI's P/B has been as high as 1.22 and as low as 0.87, with a median of 1.03.

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. FGBI has a P/S ratio of 1.68. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 3.41.

Finally, our model also underscores that FGBI has a P/CF ratio of 7.20. This data point considers a firm's operating cash flow and is frequently used to find companies that are undervalued when considering their solid cash outlook. This company's current P/CF looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 17.77. Over the past year, FGBI's P/CF has been as high as 7.52 and as low as 5.84, with a median of 6.63.

If you're looking for another solid Banks - Southeast value stock, take a look at Home Bancorp (HBCP). HBCP is a # 2 (Buy) stock with a Value score of A.

Home Bancorp sports a P/B ratio of 1.14 as well; this compares to its industry's price-to-book ratio of 1.97. In the past 52 weeks, HBCP's P/B has been as high as 1.14, as low as 0.77, with a median of 0.99.

These are just a handful of the figures considered in First Guaranty Bancshares and Home Bancorp'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 FGBI and HBCP is an impressive value stock right now.

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First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. (FGBI) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Home Bancorp, Inc. (HBCP) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
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