While the proven Zacks Rank places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find strong stocks, we also know that investors tend to develop their own individual strategies. With this in mind, we are always looking at value, growth, and momentum trends to discover great companies.
Of these, perhaps no stock market trend is more popular than value investing, which is a strategy that has proven to be successful in all sorts of market environments. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks.
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 stock to keep an eye on is Edison International (NYSE:EIX). EIX is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock holds a P/E ratio of 12.93, while its industry has an average P/E of 13.53. Over the past year, EIX's Forward P/E has been as high as 17 and as low as 10.49, with a median of 14.92.
EIX is also sporting a PEG ratio of 2.18. 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. EIX's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 2.23. Over the last 12 months, EIX's PEG has been as high as 2.82 and as low as 1.77, with a median of 2.58.
Another notable valuation metric for EIX is its P/B ratio of 1.33. 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 1.75. Over the past year, EIX's P/B has been as high as 1.63 and as low as 1.08, with a median of 1.49.
Value investors also love the P/S ratio, which is calculated by simply dividing a stock's price with the company's sales. This is a prefered metric because revenue can't really be manipulated, so sales are often a truer performance indicator. EIX has a P/S ratio of 1.49. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.85.
These are just a handful of the figures considered in Edison International'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 EIX is an impressive value stock right now.
Edison International (EIX): Free Stock Analysis Report
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