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 International Business Machines Corporation (IBM Quick QuoteIBM - 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, International Business Machines has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 11, as you can see in the chart below:


This level actually compares pretty favorably with the market at large, as the PE ratio for the S&P 500 stands at about 20.7. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, International Business Machines’ current PE level puts it almost in line with its midpoint over the past five years, while it stands below the highs for the stock.



Further, the stock’s PE compares favorably with the Zacks Computer & Technology sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at approximately 24. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
 


We should also point out that International Business Machines’ forward PE is roughly same as its trailing twelve months value, so we might say that the forward earnings estimates are incorporated in the company’s share price as of now. We define forward PE as current price relative to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current fiscal year.

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, International Business Machines has a P/S ratio of about 1.8. This is much lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.4 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is well below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.



Broad Value Outlook

In aggregate, International Business Machines currently has a Value Score of A, putting it into the top 20% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes International Business Machines 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) for International Business Machines is 8.3, a level that is much lower than the industry average of 15.2. Clearly, IBM is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.

What About the Stock Overall?

Though International Business Machines 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 Score of C and a Momentum Score of B. This gives IBM 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. The current quarter has seen one upward estimate revision in the past sixty days compared to four downward revisions, while the full year estimate has seen four upward and one downward revision in the same time period.

This has had a small impact on the consensus estimate though, as the current quarter consensus estimate has dipped by 0.2% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has inched higher by 0.1%. 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

International Business Machines is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. However, with a sluggish Zacks Industry Rank (among Bottom 24% of more than 250 industries) and a Zacks Rank #3, it is hard to get too excited about this company overall. In fact, over the past year, the industry has clearly underperformed 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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