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Is First BanCorp. (FBP) Stock Undervalued Right Now?

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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.

Of these, value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. Value investors use fundamental analysis and traditional valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are being undervalued by the market at large.

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.

First BanCorp. (FBP - Free Report) is a stock many investors are watching right now. FBP is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 10.74, which compares to its industry's average of 13.09. FBP's Forward P/E has been as high as 11.80 and as low as 8.45, with a median of 9.92, all within the past year.

Investors should also note that FBP holds a PEG ratio of 0.29. This popular figure is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also considers a company's expected EPS growth rate. FBP's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 0.65. FBP's PEG has been as high as 0.80 and as low as 0.24, with a median of 0.27, all within the past year.

We should also highlight that FBP has a P/B ratio of 1.40. 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 stock's P/B looks solid versus its industry's average P/B of 1.87. Over the past 12 months, FBP's P/B has been as high as 1.42 and as low as 0.88, with a median of 1.24.

Finally, investors will want to recognize that FBP has a P/CF ratio of 10.15. 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. FBP's current P/CF looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 16.93. Within the past 12 months, FBP's P/CF has been as high as 19.09 and as low as 8.79, with a median of 10.82.

These figures are just a handful of the metrics value investors tend to look at, but they help show that First BanCorp. Is likely being undervalued right now. Considering this, as well as the strength of its earnings outlook, FBP feels like a great value stock at the moment.


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