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Are Investors Undervaluing Consol Energy (CEIX) 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.

Of these, value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. Value investors use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

Zacks has developed the innovative Style Scores system to highlight stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will be interested in stocks with great grades in the "Value" category. When paired with a high Zacks Rank, "A" grades in the Value category are among the strongest value stocks on the market today.

One company to watch right now is Consol Energy (CEIX - Free Report) . CEIX is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy) and an A for Value.

Another notable valuation metric for CEIX is its P/B ratio of 1.74. The P/B is a method of comparing a stock's market value to its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This stock's P/B looks solid versus its industry's average P/B of 2.67. CEIX's P/B has been as high as 2.54 and as low as 0.52, with a median of 1.25, over the past year.

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. CEIX has a P/S ratio of 0.99. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.1.

Finally, investors should note that CEIX has a P/CF ratio of 4.52. 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. CEIX's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 5.09. Over the past year, CEIX's P/CF has been as high as 7.63 and as low as 1.19, with a median of 3.02.

These are just a handful of the figures considered in Consol Energy's great Value grade. Still, they help show that the stock is likely being undervalued at the moment. Add this to the strength of its earnings outlook, and we can clearly see that CEIX is an impressive value stock right now.


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