Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks.
Considering these trends, value investing is clearly one of the most preferred ways to find strong stocks in any type of 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.
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.
One company value investors might notice is Tenet Healthcare (THC). THC is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and an A for Value. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 12.18. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 12.47. Over the past year, THC's Forward P/E has been as high as 18.48 and as low as 12.01, with a median of 14.98.
Investors will also notice that THC has a PEG ratio of 0.62. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. THC's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 0.93. THC's PEG has been as high as 5.07 and as low as 0.61, with a median of 1.38, all within the past year.
Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is is calculated as price divided by sales. Some people prefer this metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement. This means it could be a truer performance indicator. THC has a P/S ratio of 0.61. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.8.
Finally, investors should note that THC has a P/CF ratio of 3.39. 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 6.23. Over the past 52 weeks, THC's P/CF has been as high as 7.24 and as low as 2.61, with a median of 3.97.
These figures are just a handful of the metrics value investors tend to look at, but they help show that Tenet Healthcare is likely being undervalued right now. Considering this, as well as the strength of its earnings outlook, THC feels like a great value stock at the moment.
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