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 rely on traditional forms of analysis on key valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are undervalued, leaving room for profits.
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 company value investors might notice is Heritage Insurance (HRTG). HRTG is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy) and an A for Value.
Value investors also frequently use the P/S ratio. This metric is found by dividing a stock's price with the company's revenue. This is a popular metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement, so they are often considered a better performance indicator. HRTG has a P/S ratio of 0.93. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.25.
Finally, our model also underscores that HRTG has a P/CF ratio of 7.67. 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 company's current P/CF looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 10.07. HRTG's P/CF has been as high as 8.19 and as low as 3.08, with a median of 4.93, all within the past year.
These figures are just a handful of the metrics value investors tend to look at, but they help show that Heritage Insurance is likely being undervalued right now. Considering this, as well as the strength of its earnings outlook, HRTG feels like a great value stock at the moment.
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Heritage Insurance Holdings, Inc. (HRTG) : Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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