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.
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 fundamental analysis and traditional valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are being undervalued by the market at large.
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.
Synchrony (SYF) is a stock many investors are watching right now. SYF is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 7.28, which compares to its industry's average of 9.74. Over the last 12 months, SYF's Forward P/E has been as high as 15.25 and as low as 7.28, with a median of 9.51.
We also note that SYF holds a PEG ratio of 0.70. 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. SYF's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 1. SYF's PEG has been as high as 1.99 and as low as 0.60, with a median of 1.13, all within the past year.
Another valuation metric that we should highlight is SYF's P/B ratio of 1.56. 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 company's current P/B looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/B of 1.97. Over the past 12 months, SYF's P/B has been as high as 2.18 and as low as 1.48, with a median of 1.80.
Finally, investors will want to recognize that SYF has a P/CF ratio of 8.15. This data point considers a firm's operating cash flow and is frequently used to find companies that are undervalued when considering their solid cash outlook. This company's current P/CF looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 9.47. Over the past 52 weeks, SYF's P/CF has been as high as 14.40 and as low as 8.15, with a median of 11.25.
These are only a few of the key metrics included in Synchrony'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, SYF looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
