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Is American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) Stock Undervalued Right Now?

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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 fundamental analysis and traditional valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are being undervalued by the market at large.

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.

American Eagle Outfitters (AEO - Free Report) is a stock many investors are watching right now. AEO is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. The stock holds a P/E ratio of 13.95, while its industry has an average P/E of 14.98. Over the last 12 months, AEO's Forward P/E has been as high as 19.09 and as low as 9.32, with a median of 13.07.

Another notable valuation metric for AEO is its P/B ratio of 2.19. 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 3.68. Over the past 12 months, AEO's P/B has been as high as 2.19 and as low as 1.24, with a median of 1.73.

Finally, we should also recognize that AEO has a P/CF ratio of 8.40. 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. This company's current P/CF looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 13.45. Over the past 52 weeks, AEO's P/CF has been as high as 9.96 and as low as 6.01, with a median of 7.76.

The Gap may be another strong Retail - Apparel and Shoes stock to add to your shortlist. GPS is a # 1 (Strong Buy) stock with a Value grade of A.

Shares of The Gap currently holds a Forward P/E ratio of 17.26, and its PEG ratio is 1.44. In comparison, its industry sports average P/E and PEG ratios of 14.98 and 0.79.

Over the past year, GPS's P/E has been as high as 30.13, as low as -63.95, with a median of 14.63; its PEG ratio has been as high as 2.51, as low as -5.33, with a median of 1.21 during the same time period.

Additionally, The Gap has a P/B ratio of 2.28 while its industry's price-to-book ratio sits at 3.68. For GPS, this valuation metric has been as high as 2.49, as low as 1.25, with a median of 1.68 over the past year.

These are just a handful of the figures considered in American Eagle Outfitters and The Gap'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 AEO and GPS is an impressive value stock right now.


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