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Is ArcBest (ARCB) a Great Value Stock Right Now?

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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 rely on traditional forms of analysis on key valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are undervalued, leaving room for profits.

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.

ArcBest (ARCB - Free Report) is a stock many investors are watching right now. ARCB is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and an A for Value. The stock holds a P/E ratio of 17.22, while its industry has an average P/E of 28.07. ARCB's Forward P/E has been as high as 19.34 and as low as 9.19, with a median of 13.79, all within the past year.

ARCB is also sporting a PEG ratio of 1.13. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. ARCB's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 2.41. Over the past 52 weeks, ARCB's PEG has been as high as 2.19 and as low as 0.88, with a median of 1.26.

Another valuation metric that we should highlight is ARCB's P/B ratio of 2.24. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This company's current P/B looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/B of 3.05. Over the past year, ARCB's P/B has been as high as 2.29 and as low as 0.58, with a median of 1.09.

Value investors also frequently use the P/S ratio. This metric is found by dividing a stock's price with the company's revenue. Some people prefer this metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement. This means it could be a truer performance indicator. ARCB has a P/S ratio of 0.63. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.65.

Finally, investors will want to recognize that ARCB has a P/CF ratio of 10.33. This metric takes into account a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find stocks that are undervalued based on 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 10.52 and as low as 2.98, with a median of 5.92.

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


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