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 Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP 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, Boardwalk has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 16.21, 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 19.78. If we focus on the stock’s long-term PE trend, the current level puts Boardwalk’s current PE ratio slightly below its midpoint over the past five years, which currently stands at 18.18. Moreover, the current level is comparatively below the highs for this stock, suggesting it might be a good entry point.


 
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks classified Oil & Gas-Production/Pipeline MLP industry’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 22.03. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.


 
We should also point out that Boardwalk has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 13.53, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Boardwalk stock in the near term too.

P/CF Ratio

An often overlooked ratio that can still be a great indicator of value is the price/cash flow metric. This ratio doesn’t take amortization and depreciation into account, so can give a more accurate picture of the financial health in a business.This is a preferred metric to some valuation investors because cash flows are (a) generally less prone to manipulation by the company’s management and (b) are less affected by variation in accounting policies between different companies.

The ratio is generally applied to find out whether a company’s stock is overpriced or underpriced with reference to its cash flows generation potential compared with its competitors. However, it is not commonly used for cross-industry comparison, as the average price to cash flow ratio varies from industry to industry.

In this case, Boardwalk’s P/CF ratio of 7.44 is lower than the Zacks classified Oil & Gas-Production/Pipeline MLP industry’s average of 12.94, which indicates that the stock is undervalued in this respect.

 


Broad Value Outlook

In aggregate, Boardwalk currently has a Zacks Value Style Score of ‘B’, putting it into the top 40% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes Boardwalk a solid choice for value investors.

What About the Stock Overall?

Though Boardwalk 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 ‘A’. This gives BWP a Zacks VGM score—or its overarching fundamental grade—of ‘B’. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)

Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been mixed at best. The current quarter has seen one estimate go higher in the past sixty days compared to two lower, while the full year estimate has seen two upward revisions and one downward revision in the same time period.

This has had just a small impact on the consensus estimate though asthe current quarter consensus estimate has risen by 3.2% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has remained stable. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:


BOARDWALK PIPLN Price and Consensus

This somewhat mixed trend is why the stock has just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and why we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.

Bottom Line

Boardwalk is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. Despite having a Zacks Rank #3, the stock belongs to an industry which is ranked among the Top 29%, which indicates that broader factors are favorable for the company. Further, over the past one year, the Zacks Oil & Gas-Production/Pipeline MLP industry has clearly outperformed the broader market, as you can see below:


 
So, it might pay for value investors to delve deeper into the company’s prospects, as fundamentals indicate that this stock could be a compelling pick.

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