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Is PriceSmart (PSMT) Stock Undervalued Right Now?

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Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks.

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.

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 stock to keep an eye on is PriceSmart (PSMT - Free Report) . PSMT is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and an A for Value. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 19.15, which compares to its industry's average of 29.85. PSMT's Forward P/E has been as high as 19.29 and as low as 15.08, with a median of 16.38, all within 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. This is a popular metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement, so they are often considered a better performance indicator. PSMT has a P/S ratio of 0.55. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.65.

Finally, investors will want to recognize that PSMT has a P/CF ratio of 13.18. This metric focuses on a firm's operating cash flow and is often used to find stocks that are undervalued based on the strength of their cash outlook. This stock's P/CF looks attractive against its industry's average P/CF of 29.52. Over the past 52 weeks, PSMT's P/CF has been as high as 13.52 and as low as 10.59, with a median of 12.32.

Value investors will likely look at more than just these metrics, but the above data helps show that PriceSmart is likely undervalued currently. And when considering the strength of its earnings outlook, PSMT sticks out at as one of the market's strongest value stocks.


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