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Should Value Investors Buy Legato Merger (ASTL) Stock?

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While the proven Zacks Rank places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find strong stocks, we also know that investors tend to develop their own individual strategies. With this in mind, we are always looking at value, growth, and momentum trends to discover great companies.

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.

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 stock to keep an eye on is Legato Merger (ASTL - Free Report) . ASTL is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 3.28, which compares to its industry's average of 7.84. ASTL's Forward P/E has been as high as 9.93 and as low as 2.07, with a median of 4, all within the past year.

We should also highlight that ASTL has a P/B ratio of 0.73. 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. ASTL's current P/B looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/B of 1.47. Over the past 12 months, ASTL's P/B has been as high as 1.38 and as low as 0.42, with a median of 0.87.

Finally, investors will want to recognize that ASTL has a P/CF ratio of 1.23. This data point considers a firm's operating cash flow and is frequently used to find companies that are undervalued when considering their solid cash outlook. ASTL's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 4.41. Over the past 52 weeks, ASTL's P/CF has been as high as 2.62 and as low as 0.81, with a median of 1.52.

If you're looking for another solid Steel - Producers value stock, take a look at SSAB (SSAAY - Free Report) . SSAAY is a # 2 (Buy) stock with a Value score of A.

Additionally, SSAB has a P/B ratio of 1.02 while its industry's price-to-book ratio sits at 1.47. For SSAAY, this valuation metric has been as high as 1.18, as low as 0.45, with a median of 0.59 over the past year.

These are just a handful of the figures considered in Legato Merger and SSAB'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 ASTL and SSAAY is an impressive value stock right now.


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