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Is Paranaense de Energia (ELP) a Great Value Stock Right Now?

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Here at Zacks, we focus on our proven ranking system, which places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, to find winning stocks. But we also understand that investors develop their own strategies, so we are constantly looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong companies for our readers.

Looking at the history of these trends, perhaps none is more beloved than value investing. This strategy simply looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader market. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks.

Zacks has developed the innovative Style Scores system to highlight stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will be interested in stocks with great grades in the "Value" category. When paired with a high Zacks Rank, "A" grades in the Value category are among the strongest value stocks on the market today.

One company value investors might notice is Paranaense de Energia (ELP - Free Report) . ELP is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), as well as an A grade for Value. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 10.92, which compares to its industry's average of 13.14. Over the past year, ELP's Forward P/E has been as high as 14.21 and as low as 5.94, with a median of 9.46.

Investors should also recognize that ELP has a P/B ratio of 0.77. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This stock's P/B looks solid versus its industry's average P/B of 1.52. Within the past 52 weeks, ELP's P/B has been as high as 1.10 and as low as 0.51, with a median of 0.80.

Value investors also frequently use the P/S ratio. This metric is found by dividing a stock's price with the company's revenue. Some people prefer this metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement. This means it could be a truer performance indicator. ELP has a P/S ratio of 0.78. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.82.

Finally, our model also underscores that ELP has a P/CF ratio of 3.95. This metric focuses on a firm's operating cash flow and is often used to find stocks that are undervalued based on the strength of their cash outlook. ELP's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 7.41. ELP's P/CF has been as high as 6.36 and as low as 2.97, with a median of 4.83, all within the past year.

These figures are just a handful of the metrics value investors tend to look at, but they help show that Paranaense de Energia is likely being undervalued right now. Considering this, as well as the strength of its earnings outlook, ELP feels like a great value stock at the moment.


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