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 Sanmina Corporation (SANM Quick QuoteSANM - Free Report) 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, Sanmina Corp. has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 15.64, 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 compares in at about 20.56. If we focus on the stock’s long-term PE trend, the current level puts Sanmina Corp.’s current PE ratio somewhat above its midpoint (which is 11.97) over the past three years.

Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks classified Electronics – Manufacturing Services industry’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 16.55. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.

We should also point out that Sanmina Corp. has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 13.71, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Sanmina Corp. stock in the near term too.

P/S Ratio

Another key metric to note is the Price/Sales ratio. This approach compares a given stock’s price to its total sales, where a lower reading is generally considered better. Some people like this metric more than other value-focused ones because it looks at sales, something that is far harder to manipulate with accounting tricks than earnings.

Right now, Sanmina Corp. has a P/S ratio of about 0.45. This is significantly lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.19 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is marginally below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.

If anything, Sanmina Corp. is towards the higher end of its range in the time period from a P/S metric, which suggests that the company’s stock price has already appreciated to some degree, relative to its sales.

Broad Value Outlook

In aggregate, Sanmina Corp. currently has a Zacks Value Style Score of ‘A’, putting it into the top 20% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes SANM a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.

For example, the P/CF ratio (another great indicator of value) comes in at 7.41, which is a tad bit better than the industry average of 7.70. Clearly, SANM is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.

What About the Stock Overall?

Though Sanmina Corp. 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 ‘A’ and a Momentum score of ‘A’. This gives SANM a Zacks VGM score—or its overarching fundamental grade—of ‘A’. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)

Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been mixed at best. While the consensus estimate for the current quarter has not witnessed any earnings momentum in the past two months, the full year estimate has inched up 0.4%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:

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

Sanmina Corp. is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. However, despite a formidable industry rank (top 8% out of more than 250 industries), a Zacks Rank #3, makes it hard to get too excited about this company overall. Nonetheless, over the past one year, the Zacks Electronics – Manufacturing Services sector has clearly outperformed the broader market, as you can see below:

So, value investors might want to wait for estimates and analyst sentiment to turn around in this name first, but once that happens, this stock could be a compelling pick.

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