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Should Value Investors Buy ArcBest (ARCB) Stock?

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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.

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 a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks.

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.

ArcBest (ARCB - Free Report) is a stock many investors are watching right now. ARCB is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock holds a P/E ratio of 18.55, while its industry has an average P/E of 26.23. Over the past year, ARCB's Forward P/E has been as high as 19.19 and as low as 6.45, with a median of 10.24.

ARCB is also sporting a PEG ratio of 2.10. This figure is similar to the commonly-used P/E ratio, with the PEG ratio also factoring in a company's expected earnings growth rate. ARCB's industry currently sports an average PEG of 2.25. Within the past year, ARCB's PEG has been as high as 2.17 and as low as 0.92, with a median of 1.76.

Finally, investors will want to recognize that ARCB has a P/CF ratio of 5.21. 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. ARCB's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 14.67. Over the past year, ARCB's P/CF has been as high as 5.35 and as low as 2.78, with a median of 4.17.

Value investors will likely look at more than just these metrics, but the above data helps show that ArcBest is likely undervalued currently. And when considering the strength of its earnings outlook, ARCB sticks out at as one of the market's strongest value stocks.


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