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Should Value Investors Buy Shell Oil (RDS.A) Stock?

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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.

Looking at the history of these trends, perhaps none is more beloved than value investing. This strategy simply looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader 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.

On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today.

One stock to keep an eye on is Shell Oil . RDS.A is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), as well as an A grade for Value.

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 prefered metric because revenue can't really be manipulated, so sales are often a truer performance indicator. RDS.A has a P/S ratio of 0.64. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.65.

Finally, we should also recognize that RDS.A has a P/CF ratio of 4.05. 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. RDS.A's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 4.55. Within the past 12 months, RDS.A's P/CF has been as high as 4.81 and as low as 1.93, with a median of 3.27.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Shell Oil'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, RDS.A looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.

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