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Should Value Investors Buy Synchrony (SYF) 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.

Of these, value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. Value investors use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

In addition to the Zacks Rank, investors looking for stocks with specific traits can utilize our Style Scores system. Of course, value investors will be most interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with "A" grades for Value and high Zacks Ranks are among the best value stocks available at any given moment.

One company to watch right now is Synchrony (SYF - Free Report) . SYF is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock holds a P/E ratio of 8.37, while its industry has an average P/E of 14.68. Over the past year, SYF's Forward P/E has been as high as 12.30 and as low as 3.99, with a median of 9.88.

Investors should also note that SYF holds a PEG ratio of 0.93. This popular figure is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also considers a company's expected EPS growth rate. SYF's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 2.04. SYF's PEG has been as high as 2.97 and as low as 0.56, with a median of 1.82, all within the past year.

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. SYF has a P/S ratio of 1.54. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 2.75.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Synchrony's strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, SYF looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.


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