Value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. After all, who wouldn’t want to find stocks that are either flying under the radar and are compelling buys, or offer up tantalizing discounts when compared to fair value?

One way to find these companies is by looking at several key metrics and financial ratios, many of which are crucial in the value stock selection process. Let’s put Hologic, Inc. (HOLX Quick QuoteHOLX - Free Report) stock into this equation and find out if it is a good choice for value-oriented investors right now, or if investors subscribing to this methodology should look elsewhere for top picks:

PE Ratio

A key metric that value investors always look at is the Price to Earnings Ratio, or PE for short. This shows us how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings in a given stock and is easily one of the most popular financial ratios in the world. The best use of the PE ratio is to compare the stock’s current PE ratio with: a) where this ratio has been in the past; b) how it compares to the average for the industry/sector; and c) how it compares to the market as a whole.

On this front, Hologic has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 18.61, as you can see in the chart below:



This level actually compares pretty favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 20.93. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Hologic’s current PE level puts it below its midpoint of 19.25 over the past five years. Moreover, the current level stands well below the highs for the stock, suggesting that it could be a great entry point.



Further, the stock’s PE compares favorably with the Zacks Medical sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 20.01. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
 


We should also point out that Hologic has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 16.95, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Hologic stock in the near term too.

P/CF Ratio

An often overlooked ratio that can still be a great indicator of value is the price/cash flow metric. This ratio doesn’t take amortization and depreciation into account, so can give a more accurate picture of the financial health in a business. This is a preferred metric to some valuation investors because cash flows are (a) generally less prone to manipulation by the company’s management, and (b) are less affected by variation in accounting policies between different companies.

The ratio is generally applied to find out whether a company’s stock is overpriced or underpriced with reference to its cash flows generation potential compared with its competitors. However, it is not commonly used for cross-industry comparison, as the average price to cash flow ratio varies from industry to industry.

In this case, Hologic’s P/CF ratio of 7.00 is much lower than the Zacks Medical Instruments industry average of 20.68, which indicates that the stock is quite undervalued in this respect.



Broad Value Outlook

In aggregate, Hologic currently has a Value Score of B, putting it into the top 40% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes Hologic a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.

For example, the PEG ratio for Hologic is just 1.72, a level that is far lower than the industry average of 2.47. The PEG ratio is a modified PE ratio that takes into account the stock’s earnings growth rate. Additionally, its P/CF ratio (another great indicator of value) comes in at 10.42, which is far better than the industry average of 19.55. Clearly, HOLX is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.

What About the Stock Overall?

Though Hologic might be a good choice for value investors, there are plenty of other factors to consider before investing in this name. In particular, it is worth noting that the company has a Growth Score of D and a Momentum Score of A. This gives HOLX a Zacks VGM score — or its overarching fundamental grade — of B. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)

Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been quite encouraging. The current quarter has seen seven estimates go higher in the past sixty days compared to two lower, while the full year estimate has seen eight up and three down in the same time period.

This has had a positive impact on the consensus estimate, as the current quarter consensus estimate has inched higher by 0.03% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has risen 3.2%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:

However, this somewhat bullish trend has likely not yet been reflected in the stock, as we have just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), which indicates expectations of in-line performance in the near term. Nonetheless, the bullish analyst sentiment indicates that the stock’s prospects in the near term look good.

Bottom Line

Hologic is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. However, with a sluggish Zacks Industry Rank (among Bottom 35% of more than 250 industries) and a Zacks Rank #3, it is hard to get too excited about this company overall. Nevertheless, over the past year, the industry has outperformed the broader market, as you can see below:



So, value investors might want to wait for the broader industry factors to improve further, but once that happens, this stock could be a compelling pick.

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