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.<\/p>\n
Of these, value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
One stock to keep an eye on is Banco Santander (SAN). SAN is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and an A for Value. The stock is trading with P\/E ratio of 9.86 right now. For comparison, its industry sports an average P\/E of 10.40. Over the last 12 months, SAN’s Forward P\/E has been as high as 9.98 and as low as 4.97, with a median of 7.28.<\/p>\n
Another valuation metric that we should highlight is SAN’s P\/B ratio of 1.23. 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. SAN’s current P\/B looks attractive when compared to its industry’s average P\/B of 2.41. SAN’s P\/B has been as high as 1.23 and as low as 0.61, with a median of 0.88, over the past year.<\/p>\n
Finally, our model also underscores that SAN has a P\/CF ratio of 8.79. 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 19.61. SAN’s P\/CF has been as high as 8.79 and as low as 4.27, with a median of 5.05, all within the past year.<\/p>\n
These are only a few of the key metrics included in Banco Santander’s strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, SAN looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.<\/p>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n Banco Santander, S.A. (SAN) : Free Stock Analysis Report<\/a><\/p>\n This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).<\/a><\/p>\n