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Should Value Investors Buy Private Bancorp of America (PBAM) Stock?

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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 a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks.

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 value investors might notice is Private Bancorp of America (PBAM - Free Report) . PBAM is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. The stock holds a P/E ratio of 7.74, while its industry has an average P/E of 13.18. Over the past year, PBAM's Forward P/E has been as high as 8.28 and as low as 4.84, with a median of 6.62.

Another notable valuation metric for PBAM is its P/B ratio of 1.28. 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 company's current P/B looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/B of 1.88. Over the past year, PBAM's P/B has been as high as 1.30 and as low as 1, with a median of 1.08.

Value investors also love the P/S ratio, which is calculated by simply dividing a stock's price with the company's sales. Some people prefer this metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement. This means it could be a truer performance indicator. PBAM has a P/S ratio of 1.78. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.97.

Finally, investors should note that PBAM has a P/CF ratio of 8.52. 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 15.90. Over the past 52 weeks, PBAM's P/CF has been as high as 8.62 and as low as 4.98, with a median of 6.20.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Private Bancorp of America'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, PBAM looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.


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