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Is Financial Institutions (FISI) a Great Value Stock Right Now?

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The proven Zacks Rank system focuses on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find winning stocks. Nevertheless, we know that our readers all have their own perspectives, so we are always looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find 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.

In addition to the Zacks Rank, investors looking for stocks with specific traits can utilize our Style Scores system. Of course, value investors will be most interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with "A" grades for Value and high Zacks Ranks are among the best value stocks available at any given moment.

One company to watch right now is Financial Institutions (FISI - Free Report) . FISI is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and an A for Value. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 7.88. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 10.01. FISI's Forward P/E has been as high as 14.41 and as low as 5.16, with a median of 9.51, all within the past year.

We should also highlight that FISI has a P/B ratio of 0.64. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This stock's P/B looks attractive against its industry's average P/B of 0.92. Within the past 52 weeks, FISI's P/B has been as high as 1.28 and as low as 0.53, with a median of 0.75.

Value investors also love the P/S ratio, which is calculated by simply dividing a stock's price with the company's sales. This is a popular metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement, so they are often considered a better performance indicator. FISI has a P/S ratio of 1.28. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.9.

Finally, we should also recognize that FISI has a P/CF ratio of 5.69. 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. FISI's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 11.35. Within the past 12 months, FISI's P/CF has been as high as 9.62 and as low as 3.88, with a median of 6.10.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Financial Institutions'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, FISI looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.


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