Is Lazard (LAZ) a Great Value Stock Right Now?

LAZ

The proven Zacks Rank system focuses on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find winning stocks. Nevertheless, we know that our readers all have their own perspectives, so we are always looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong picks.

Considering these trends, value investing is clearly one of the most preferred ways to find strong stocks in any type of 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.

In addition to the Zacks Rank, investors looking for stocks with specific traits can utilize our Style Scores system. Of course, value investors will be most interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with "A" grades for Value and high Zacks Ranks are among the best value stocks available at any given moment.

One company to watch right now is Lazard (LAZ - Free Report) . LAZ is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and an A for Value. The stock is trading with P/E ratio of 10.84 right now. For comparison, its industry sports an average P/E of 13.23. LAZ's Forward P/E has been as high as 14.02 and as low as 5.83, with a median of 11.02, all within the past year.

Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is is calculated as price divided by sales. This is a popular metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement, so they are often considered a better performance indicator. LAZ has a P/S ratio of 1.78. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 2.74.

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

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