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Is Group 1 Automotive (GPI) a Great Value Stock Right Now?

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Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks.

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 fundamental analysis and traditional valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are being undervalued by the market at large.

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 Group 1 Automotive (GPI - Free Report) . GPI 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 7.17, which compares to its industry's average of 11.18. Over the last 12 months, GPI's Forward P/E has been as high as 9.75 and as low as 2.64, with a median of 8.26.

Investors will also notice that GPI has a PEG ratio of 1.33. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. GPI's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 1.89. Over the last 12 months, GPI's PEG has been as high as 4.33 and as low as 0.52, with a median of 1.51.

Another notable valuation metric for GPI is its P/B ratio of 1.35. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with 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 1.50. Over the past year, GPI's P/B has been as high as 1.71 and as low as 0.48, with a median of 1.36.

Value investors also love the P/S ratio, which is calculated by simply dividing a stock's price with the company's sales. Some people prefer this metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement. This means it could be a truer performance indicator. GPI has a P/S ratio of 0.15. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.3.

Finally, investors should note that GPI has a P/CF ratio of 7.41. This metric takes into account a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find stocks that are undervalued based on their solid cash outlook. This stock's P/CF looks attractive against its industry's average P/CF of 11.41. Over the past 52 weeks, GPI's P/CF has been as high as 8.52 and as low as 2.43, with a median of 7.01.

These are just a handful of the figures considered in Group 1 Automotive's great Value grade. Still, they help show that the stock is likely being undervalued at the moment. Add this to the strength of its earnings outlook, and we can clearly see that GPI is an impressive value stock right now.


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