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Finding Highly-Ranked Value Stocks to Buy in August

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The Nasdaq has rebounded above 21-day and 50-day moving averages after Wall Street poured into stocks following the massive wave of selling to close out July and start August. Nvidia and other stocks have soared over 30% in less than two weeks.

The bulls have cleared two key hurdles in the blink of an eye. The rapid comeback highlights that the bulls are in control as they look ahead to Fed rate cuts and strong corporate earnings. Therefore, investors want to remain exposed to the stock market heading into the fall.

Some investors might not want to dive into tech stocks that might be overheated at the moment. Thankfully, there are tons of top-ranked value stocks to buy, especially if people know where to look.

Today we show investors how to screen for stocks that offer the potentially winning combination of impressive value and improving earnings outlooks to buy in August and beyond.

Screen Basics

The screen we are digging into today comes loaded with the Research Wizard and aims to sort through highly-ranked Zacks stocks to find some of the top value names.

This value-focused screen searches only for stocks that boast Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buys) or #2 (Buys). It also focuses on stocks with price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios under the median for its industry. The screen also looks for stocks with price-to-sales (P/S) ratios under the median for its industry to help lock in relative value compared to its peers, since basing it off the wider market is not always the most useful tool.

The screen then digs into quarterly earnings rates above the median for its industry. This particular Zacks screen also uses a special blend of upgrades and estimates revisions to select the best seven stocks in this list.

The screen basics are listed below…

·       Only Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or #2 (Buy) Stocks

·       P/E (using 12-month EPS) - Under the Median for its Industry

·       P/S - Under the Median for its Industry

·       Percentage Change Act. EPS Q(0)/Q(-1)

·       Rating Change and Revisions Factors (to help narrow the list to the 7 best stocks in this list)

This strategy comes loaded with the Research Wizard and it is called bt_sow_value_method1. It can be found in the SoW (Screen of the Week) folder.

The screen is pretty simple, yet powerful. Here is one of the seven stocks that made it through this week's screen…

Criteo (CRTO - Free Report) Stock

 

Criteo ((CRTO - Free Report) ) is a global technology company focused on performance advertising. Criteo’s pitch to its customers is that it helps “advertisers, retailers, and publishers activate and monetize audiences everywhere shoppable moments happen.” Criteo posted a blowout beat-and-raise second quarter on August 1.

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Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Criteo’s adjusted FY24 consensus earnings estimate has surged 12% since its release, with its 2025 outlook 24% higher to help it earn its Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). CRTO’s post-release revisions are part of an impressive stretch of improving earnings estimates that began at the start of 2024.

Criteo is projected to grow its revenue by 10% in 2024 and 6% next year to help boost its adjusted earnings by 31% and 1%, respectively. CRTO has topped our EPS estimates by an average of 26% in the trailing four quarters.

Zacks Investment Research
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Criteo shares have climbed by 150% in the past five years to blow away its highly-ranked Internet Software Services industry’s 3%. CRTO’s run includes a 90% YTD surge. Despite the strong stretch, CRTO still trades 8% below its average Zacks price target. The stock also appears ready to break out above its all-time highs from 2015 and 2017.

CRTO trades at a 70% discount to its highs and near its decade-long median at 17.4X forward 12-month earnings, which also marks 20% value compared to its industry.

Get the rest of the stocks on this list and start looking for the newest companies that fit these criteria. It's easy to do. And it could help you find your next big winner. Start screening for these companies today with a free trial to the Research Wizard. You can do it.

Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today.

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Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. 

Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks’ portfolios and strategies are available at: www.zacks.com/performance_disclosure 


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