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Are Investors Undervaluing Axis Capital Holdings (AXS) 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.

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.

One company value investors might notice is Axis Capital Holdings (AXS - Free Report) . AXS is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), as well as a Value grade of A.

We should also highlight that AXS has a P/B ratio of 1.21. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus 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 1.47. AXS's P/B has been as high as 1.26 and as low as 0.98, with a median of 1.09, over the past year.

Value investors also frequently use the P/S ratio. This metric is found by dividing a stock's price with the company's revenue. Some people prefer this metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement. This means it could be a truer performance indicator. AXS has a P/S ratio of 1.07. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.16.

Finally, our model also underscores that AXS has a P/CF ratio of 9.02. 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. AXS's current P/CF looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 11.12. Within the past 12 months, AXS's P/CF has been as high as 12.84 and as low as 7.23, with a median of 9.41.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Axis Capital Holdings'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, AXS looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.


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