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Is Banco Santander (SAN) Stock Undervalued Right Now?

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Here at Zacks, we focus on our proven ranking system, which places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, to find winning stocks. But we also understand that investors develop their own strategies, so we are constantly looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong companies for our readers.

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.

On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today.

One company value investors might notice is Banco Santander (SAN - Free Report) . SAN is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and an A for Value. The stock holds a P/E ratio of 5.60, while its industry has an average P/E of 8.63. Over the past year, SAN's Forward P/E has been as high as 6.42 and as low as 4.44, with a median of 5.48.

Investors will also notice that SAN has a PEG ratio of 0.41. 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. SAN's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 0.65. Over the past 52 weeks, SAN's PEG has been as high as 0.49 and as low as 0.28, with a median of 0.35.

Investors should also recognize that SAN has a P/B ratio of 0.67. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This company's current P/B looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/B of 1.42. Within the past 52 weeks, SAN's P/B has been as high as 0.73 and as low as 0.51, with a median of 0.59.

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. SAN has a P/S ratio of 0.92. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.16.

Finally, investors should note that SAN has a P/CF ratio of 5.14. 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. SAN's current P/CF looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 12.68. Over the past year, SAN's P/CF has been as high as 5.59 and as low as 4.10, with a median of 4.73.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Banco Santander'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, SAN looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.


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