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Should Value Investors Buy Axis Capital Holdings (AXS) Stock?

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Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks.

Of these, value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks.

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 Axis Capital Holdings (AXS - Free Report) . AXS is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and an A for Value.

We also note that AXS holds a PEG ratio of 1.88. 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. AXS's industry has an average PEG of 3.38 right now. Over the last 12 months, AXS's PEG has been as high as 2.94 and as low as 1.83, with a median of 2.27.

We should also highlight that AXS has a P/B ratio of 0.92. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. AXS's current P/B looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/B of 1.30. Over the past 12 months, AXS's P/B has been as high as 1.06 and as low as 0.79, with a median of 0.91.

Value investors also frequently use the P/S ratio. This metric is found by dividing a stock's price with the company's revenue. This is a popular metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement, so they are often considered a better performance indicator. AXS has a P/S ratio of 0.85. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.01.

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


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