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Can Value Investors Consider First Business Financial Services (FBIZ) Stock?
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Value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. After all, who wouldn’t want to find stocks that are either flying under the radar and are compelling buys, or offer up tantalizing discounts when compared to fair value?
One way to find these companies is by looking at several key metrics and financial ratios, many of which are crucial in the value stock selection process. Let’s put First Business Financial Services, Inc. (FBIZ - Free Report) stock into this equation and find out if it is a good choice for value-oriented investors right now, or if investors subscribing to this methodology should look elsewhere for top picks:
PE Ratio
A key metric that value investors always look at is the Price to Earnings Ratio, or PE for short. This shows us how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings in a given stock, and is easily one of the most popular financial ratios in the world. The best use of the PE ratio is to compare the stock’s current PE ratio with: a) where this ratio has been in the past; b) how it compares to the average for the industry/sector; and c) how it compares to the market as a whole.
On this front, First Business Financial Services has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 12.34, as you can see in the chart below:
This level actually compares pretty favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 29.73. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, First Business Financial Services’ current PE level puts it above its midpoint (which is 11.89) over the past five years, with the number having risen rapidly over the past few months.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks Finance sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 20.56. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that First Business Financial Services has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 9.29, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for First Business Financial Services stock in the near term too.
P/S Ratio
Another key metric to note is the Price/Sales ratio. This approach compares a given stock’s price to its total sales, where a lower reading is generally considered better. Some people like this metric more than other value-focused ones because it looks at sales, something that is far harder to manipulate with accounting tricks than earnings.
Right now, First Business Financial Services has a P/S ratio of about 1.69. This is a bit lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 5.22x right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is well below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.
If anything, this suggests some level of undervalued trading—at least compared to historical norms.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, First Business Financial Services currently has a Value Score of A, putting it into the top 20% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes First Business Financial Services a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
For example, the P/CF ratio (another great indicator of value) comes in at 10.19, which is far better than the industry average of 10.26. Clearly, FBIZ is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though First Business Financial Services might be a good choice for value investors, there are plenty of other factors to consider before investing in this name. In particular, it is worth noting that the company has a Growth Score of C and a Momentum Score of A. This gives FBIZ a Zacks VGM score — or its overarching fundamental grade — of A. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)
Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been mixed at best. The current quarter has seen no estimate go higher in the past sixty days compared to two lower, while the full year estimate has seen two up and none down in the same time period.
This has had a noticeable impact on the consensus estimate though as the current quarter consensus estimate has declined by 3.9% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has risen by 6.7%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
First Business Financial Services, Inc. Price and Consensus
This somewhat mixed trend is why the stock has just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and why we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.
Bottom Line
First Business Financial Services is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. Further, a strong industry rank (among Top 25% of more than 250 industries) instills our confidence. However, over the past two years, the Zacks Banks – Midwest industry has clearly underperformed the broader market, as you can see below:
So, value investors might want to wait for estimates and analyst sentiment to turn around in this name first, but once that happens, this stock could be a compelling pick.
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Image: Bigstock
Can Value Investors Consider First Business Financial Services (FBIZ) Stock?
Value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. After all, who wouldn’t want to find stocks that are either flying under the radar and are compelling buys, or offer up tantalizing discounts when compared to fair value?
One way to find these companies is by looking at several key metrics and financial ratios, many of which are crucial in the value stock selection process. Let’s put First Business Financial Services, Inc. (FBIZ - Free Report) stock into this equation and find out if it is a good choice for value-oriented investors right now, or if investors subscribing to this methodology should look elsewhere for top picks:
PE Ratio
A key metric that value investors always look at is the Price to Earnings Ratio, or PE for short. This shows us how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings in a given stock, and is easily one of the most popular financial ratios in the world. The best use of the PE ratio is to compare the stock’s current PE ratio with: a) where this ratio has been in the past; b) how it compares to the average for the industry/sector; and c) how it compares to the market as a whole.
On this front, First Business Financial Services has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 12.34, as you can see in the chart below:
This level actually compares pretty favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 29.73. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, First Business Financial Services’ current PE level puts it above its midpoint (which is 11.89) over the past five years, with the number having risen rapidly over the past few months.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks Finance sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 20.56. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that First Business Financial Services has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 9.29, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for First Business Financial Services stock in the near term too.
P/S Ratio
Another key metric to note is the Price/Sales ratio. This approach compares a given stock’s price to its total sales, where a lower reading is generally considered better. Some people like this metric more than other value-focused ones because it looks at sales, something that is far harder to manipulate with accounting tricks than earnings.
Right now, First Business Financial Services has a P/S ratio of about 1.69. This is a bit lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 5.22x right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is well below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.
If anything, this suggests some level of undervalued trading—at least compared to historical norms.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, First Business Financial Services currently has a Value Score of A, putting it into the top 20% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes First Business Financial Services a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
For example, the P/CF ratio (another great indicator of value) comes in at 10.19, which is far better than the industry average of 10.26. Clearly, FBIZ is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though First Business Financial Services might be a good choice for value investors, there are plenty of other factors to consider before investing in this name. In particular, it is worth noting that the company has a Growth Score of C and a Momentum Score of A. This gives FBIZ a Zacks VGM score — or its overarching fundamental grade — of A. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)
Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been mixed at best. The current quarter has seen no estimate go higher in the past sixty days compared to two lower, while the full year estimate has seen two up and none down in the same time period.
This has had a noticeable impact on the consensus estimate though as the current quarter consensus estimate has declined by 3.9% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has risen by 6.7%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
First Business Financial Services, Inc. Price and Consensus
First Business Financial Services, Inc. price-consensus-chart | First Business Financial Services, Inc. Quote
This somewhat mixed trend is why the stock has just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and why we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.
Bottom Line
First Business Financial Services is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. Further, a strong industry rank (among Top 25% of more than 250 industries) instills our confidence. However, over the past two years, the Zacks Banks – Midwest industry has clearly underperformed the broader market, as you can see below:
So, value investors might want to wait for estimates and analyst sentiment to turn around in this name first, but once that happens, this stock could be a compelling pick.
Time to Invest in Legal Marijuana
If you’re looking for big gains, there couldn’t be a better time to get in on a young industry primed to skyrocket from $17.7 billion back in 2019 to an expected $73.6 billion by 2027.
After a clean sweep of 6 election referendums in 5 states, pot is now legal in 36 states plus D.C. Federal legalization is expected soon and that could be a still greater bonanza for investors. Even before the latest wave of legalization, Zacks Investment Research has recommended pot stocks that have shot up as high as +285.9%
You’re invited to check out Zacks’ Marijuana Moneymakers: An Investor’s Guide. It features a timely Watch List of pot stocks and ETFs with exceptional growth potential.
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