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Should Value Investors Buy The Gap (GPS) Stock?

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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.

Considering these trends, value investing is clearly one of the most preferred ways to find strong stocks in any type of market. Value investors use fundamental analysis and traditional valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are being undervalued by the market at large.

Luckily, Zacks has developed its own Style Scores system in an effort to find stocks with specific traits. Value investors will be interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with both "A" grades in the Value category and high Zacks Ranks are among the strongest value stocks on the market right now.

The Gap (GPS - Free Report) is a stock many investors are watching right now. GPS is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy) and an A for Value. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 11.68. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 15.26. Over the past 52 weeks, GPS's Forward P/E has been as high as 22.71 and as low as 11.60, with a median of 15.85.

Investors will also notice that GPS has a PEG ratio of 1.25. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. GPS's industry has an average PEG of 1.29 right now. GPS's PEG has been as high as 4.60 and as low as 1.06, with a median of 1.42, all within the past year.

We should also highlight that GPS has a P/B ratio of 3.01. 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 company's current P/B looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/B of 4.40. GPS's P/B has been as high as 4.07 and as low as 1.55, with a median of 2.94, over the past year.

Finally, investors should note that GPS has a P/CF ratio of 6.98. This figure highlights a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find firms that are undervalued when considering their impressive cash outlook. This stock's P/CF looks attractive against its industry's average P/CF of 13.62. Over the past 52 weeks, GPS's P/CF has been as high as 14.18 and as low as 5.38, with a median of 7.49.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in The Gap'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, GPS looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.


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