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Should Value Investors Buy Israel Chemicals (ICL) Stock?

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Here at Zacks, we focus on our proven ranking system, which places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, to find winning stocks. But we also understand that investors develop their own strategies, so we are constantly looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong companies for our readers.

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 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.

Israel Chemicals (ICL - Free Report) is a stock many investors are watching right now. ICL is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and an A for Value. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 12.99. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 18.58. Over the past year, ICL's Forward P/E has been as high as 18.11 and as low as 11.58, with a median of 13.65.

We also note that ICL holds a PEG ratio of 1.37. This figure is similar to the commonly-used P/E ratio, with the PEG ratio also factoring in a company's expected earnings growth rate. ICL's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 1.92. Over the past 52 weeks, ICL's PEG has been as high as 1.91 and as low as 1.28, with a median of 1.55.

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. ICL has a P/S ratio of 1.28. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.43.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Israel Chemicals'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, ICL looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.


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