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Is First Guaranty Bancshares (FGBI) a Great Value Stock 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.

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.

On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today.

One company to watch right now is First Guaranty Bancshares (FGBI - Free Report) . FGBI is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 10.20, which compares to its industry's average of 12.56. FGBI's Forward P/E has been as high as 14.83 and as low as 6.23, with a median of 9.16, all within the past year.

Investors should also recognize that FGBI has a P/B ratio of 0.90. The P/B is a method of comparing a stock's market value to its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This stock's P/B looks solid versus its industry's average P/B of 0.91. Over the past 12 months, FGBI's P/B has been as high as 1.05 and as low as 0.60, with a median of 0.76.

Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is is calculated as price divided by 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. FGBI has a P/S ratio of 1.51. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 2.8.

Finally, investors will want to recognize that FGBI has a P/CF ratio of 6.81. This data point considers a firm's operating cash flow and is frequently used to find companies that are undervalued when considering their solid cash outlook. FGBI's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 11. FGBI's P/CF has been as high as 10.24 and as low as 4.85, with a median of 6.34, all within the past year.

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


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