Is Matson (MATX) a Great Value Stock Right Now?

Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore 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.

Luckily, Zacks has developed its own Style Scores system in an effort to find stocks with specific traits. Value investors will be interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with both "A" grades in the Value category and high Zacks Ranks are among the strongest value stocks on the market right now.

One stock to keep an eye on is Matson (MATX). MATX is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. The stock is trading with P/E ratio of 4.17 right now. For comparison, its industry sports an average P/E of 9.84. MATX's Forward P/E has been as high as 12.17 and as low as 3.88, with a median of 9.04, all within the past year.

We should also highlight that MATX has a P/B ratio of 1.86. 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 5.24. Over the past 12 months, MATX's P/B has been as high as 3.21 and as low as 1.76, with a median of 2.61.

Finally, investors will want to recognize that MATX has a P/CF ratio of 2.52. This metric focuses on a firm's operating cash flow and is often used to find stocks that are undervalued based on the strength of their cash outlook. This stock's P/CF looks attractive against its industry's average P/CF of 8.39. MATX's P/CF has been as high as 6.10 and as low as 2.39, with a median of 4.34, all within the past year.

Another great Transportation - Services stock you could consider is Universal Logistics (ULH), which is a # 1 (Strong Buy) stock with a Value Score of A.

Universal Logistics sports a P/B ratio of 2.05 as well; this compares to its industry's price-to-book ratio of 5.24. In the past 52 weeks, ULH's P/B has been as high as 2.78, as low as 1.43, with a median of 1.90.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Matson and Universal Logistics strong Value grade, but they help show that the stocks are likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, MATX and ULH look like an impressive value stock at the moment.

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