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Is Macy's (M) a Great Value Stock 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, perhaps no stock market trend is more popular than value investing, which is a strategy that has proven to be successful in all sorts of market environments. 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.

One company to watch right now is Macy's (M - Free Report) . M is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 7.88. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 10.13. Over the past 52 weeks, M's Forward P/E has been as high as 8.39 and as low as 3.61, with a median of 5.46.

We also note that M holds a PEG ratio of 0.60. This popular figure is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also considers a company's expected EPS growth rate. M's industry currently sports an average PEG of 1.27. Within the past year, M's PEG has been as high as 0.64 and as low as 0.30, with a median of 0.42.

We should also highlight that M has a P/B ratio of 1.33. 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. This stock's P/B looks attractive against its industry's average P/B of 2.15. Over the past year, M's P/B has been as high as 1.43 and as low as 0.69, with a median of 1.07.

Finally, investors will want to recognize that M has a P/CF ratio of 5.45. This metric takes into account a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find stocks that are undervalued based on their solid cash outlook. M's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 8.39. Over the past 52 weeks, M's P/CF has been as high as 5.85 and as low as 1.77, with a median of 2.68.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Macy's's strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, M looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.


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