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Is Lithia Motors (LAD) 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 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.

Lithia Motors (LAD - Free Report) is a stock many investors are watching right now. LAD is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), as well as an A grade for Value.

We also note that LAD holds a PEG ratio of 0.44. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. LAD's industry has an average PEG of 0.45 right now. LAD's PEG has been as high as 0.89 and as low as 0.41, with a median of 0.66, all within the past year.

Another notable valuation metric for LAD is its P/B ratio of 2.42. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against 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 2.55. Over the past 12 months, LAD's P/B has been as high as 4.83 and as low as 2.22, with a median of 3.39.

Finally, investors should note that LAD has a P/CF ratio of 10.03. 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. This stock's P/CF looks attractive against its industry's average P/CF of 10.44. Over the past 52 weeks, LAD's P/CF has been as high as 18.69 and as low as 9.20, with a median of 13.78.

These figures are just a handful of the metrics value investors tend to look at, but they help show that Lithia Motors is likely being undervalued right now. Considering this, as well as the strength of its earnings outlook, LAD feels like a great value stock at the moment.


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