Value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. After all, who wouldn’t want to find stocks that are either flying under the radar and are compelling buys, or offer up tantalizing discounts when compared to fair value?

One way to find these companies is by looking at several key metrics and financial ratios, many of which are crucial in the value stock selection process. Let’s put Valero Energy Corporation (VLO Quick QuoteVLO - Free Report) stock into this equation and find out if it is a good choice for value-oriented investors right now, or if investors subscribing to this methodology should look elsewhere for top picks:

PE Ratio

A key metric that value investors always look at is the Price to Earnings Ratio, or PE for short. This shows us how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings in a given stock, and is easily one of the most popular financial ratios in the world. The best use of the PE ratio is to compare the stock’s current PE ratio with: a) where this ratio has been in the past; b) how it compares to the average for the industry/sector; and c) how it compares to the market as a whole.

On this front, Valero Energy has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 17.51, as you can see in the chart below:



This level actually compares pretty favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 20.27. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Valero Energy’s current PE level puts it above its midpoint of 8.15 over the past five years, with the number having risen rapidly over the past few months. However, the current multiple stands a bit below the recent highs for the stock.



Further, the stock’s PE stands way below the Zacks classified Oils – Energy sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 59.40. This indicates that the stock is considerably undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
 


We should also point out that Valero Energy has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 13.60, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Valero Energy stock in the near term too.

P/S Ratio

Another key metric to note is the Price/Sales ratio. This approach compares a given stock’s price to its total sales, where a lower reading is generally considered better. Some people like this metric more than other value-focused ones because it looks at sales, something that is far harder to manipulate with accounting tricks than earnings.

Right now, Valero Energy has a P/S ratio of about 0.39. This is significantly lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.08 right now, making the stock undervalued from the P/S aspect too.


Broad Value Outlook

In aggregate, Valero Energy currently has a Zacks Value Style Score of ‘A’, putting it into the top 20% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes Valero Energy a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.

For example, the PEG ratio for Valero Energy is just 1.15, a level that is lower than the industry average of 1.32. The PEG ratio is a modified PE ratio that takes into account the stock’s earnings growth rate. Additionally, its P/CF ratio (another great indicator of value) comes in at 6.34, which is slightly better than the industry average of 6.89. Clearly, VLO is a good choice on the value front from multiple angles.

What About the Stock Overall?

Though Valero Energy might be a good choice for value investors, there are plenty of other factors to consider before investing in this name. In particular, it is worth noting that the company has a Growth grade of ‘D’ and a Momentum score of ‘F’. This gives VLO a Zacks VGM score—or its overarching fundamental grade—of ‘C’. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)

Further, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been quite discouraging. The current quarter has seen four estimates go lower in the past sixty days compared to just one upward revision, while the full year estimate has seen six downward with no upward revisions in the same time period.

This has had a dismal impact on the consensus estimate, as the current quarter consensus estimate has slumped 27.3% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has decreased 9.4%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:

In light of these bearish trends, the stock has just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) which indicates that we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.

Bottom Line

Valero Energy is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. However, with a sluggish industry rank (Bottom 38% out of over 250 industries) and a Zacks Rank #3, it is hard to get too excited about this company overall. In fact, over the past two years, the Zacks categorized Oil Refining & Marketing industry has clearly underperformed the broader market, as you can see below:



So, value investors might want to wait for estimates and analyst sentiment to turn around in this name first, but once that happens, this stock could be a compelling pick.

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