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Is First Citizens BancShares (FCNCA) a Great Value Stock Right Now?

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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 tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

Zacks has developed the innovative Style Scores system to highlight stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will be interested in stocks with great grades in the "Value" category. When paired with a high Zacks Rank, "A" grades in the Value category are among the strongest value stocks on the market today.

One stock to keep an eye on is First Citizens BancShares (FCNCA - Free Report) . FCNCA 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 9.49, while its industry has an average P/E of 10.13. Over the past 52 weeks, FCNCA's Forward P/E has been as high as 11.84 and as low as 7.05, with a median of 7.77.

Investors should also recognize that FCNCA has a P/B ratio of 1.25. 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 1.68. FCNCA's P/B has been as high as 1.28 and as low as 0.76, with a median of 1.05, over the past year.

Finally, our model also underscores that FCNCA has a P/CF ratio of 9.73. 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. FCNCA's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 14.27. Over the past 52 weeks, FCNCA's P/CF has been as high as 9.98 and as low as 1.28, with a median of 1.81.

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


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