Are These Industrial Products Stocks a Great Value 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.

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 use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

In addition to the Zacks Rank, investors looking for stocks with specific traits can utilize our Style Scores system. Of course, value investors will be most interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with "A" grades for Value and high Zacks Ranks are among the best value stocks available at any given moment.

One company value investors might notice is Alcoa (AA). AA is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock is trading with P/E ratio of 9.32 right now. For comparison, its industry sports an average P/E of 10.64. AA's Forward P/E has been as high as 20.06 and as low as 6.33, with a median of 9.27, all within the past year.

We should also highlight that AA has a P/B ratio of 2.06. 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 2.45. AA's P/B has been as high as 2.14 and as low as 0.67, with a median of 1.44, over the past year.

Finally, investors will want to recognize that AA has a P/CF ratio of 7.71. This figure highlights a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find firms that are undervalued when considering their impressive cash outlook. This company's current P/CF looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 17.42. Over the past year, AA's P/CF has been as high as 13.22 and as low as 5.44, with a median of 7.87.

Another great Metal Products - Distribution stock you could consider is Mitsui & Co. (MITSY), which is a # 2 (Buy) stock with a Value Score of A.

Over the past year, MITSY's P/E has been as high as 12.97, as low as 5.03, with a median of 6.75; its PEG ratio has been as high as 1.74, as low as 0.17, with a median of 0.21 during the same time period.

Mitsui & Co. sports a P/B ratio of 0.90 as well; this compares to its industry's price-to-book ratio of 2.45. In the past 52 weeks, MITSY's P/B has been as high as 0.91, as low as 0.74, with a median of 0.82.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Alcoa and Mitsui & Co. strong Value grade, but they help show that the stocks are likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, AA and MITSY look like an impressive value stock at the moment.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
Alcoa (AA) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Mitsui & Co. (MITSY) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research