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Should Value Investors Buy ConnectOne Bancorp (CNOB) Stock?

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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.

On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today.

One stock to keep an eye on is ConnectOne Bancorp (CNOB - Free Report) . CNOB is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and an A for Value. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 8.85, which compares to its industry's average of 9.85. Over the past year, CNOB's Forward P/E has been as high as 11.38 and as low as 3.96, with a median of 8.40.

Investors should also recognize that CNOB has a P/B ratio of 0.75. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This company's current P/B looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/B of 0.92. Over the past year, CNOB's P/B has been as high as 1.30 and as low as 0.46, with a median of 0.70.

Value investors also love the P/S ratio, which is calculated by simply dividing a stock's price with the company's 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. CNOB has a P/S ratio of 1.86. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.93.

Finally, our model also underscores that CNOB has a P/CF ratio of 9.59. 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. CNOB's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 11.35. Over the past 52 weeks, CNOB's P/CF has been as high as 12.46 and as low as 4.42, with a median of 9.16.

These are just a handful of the figures considered in ConnectOne Bancorp'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 CNOB is an impressive value stock right now.


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