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Zacks.com featured highlights include: Lumber Liquidators, Boise Cascade, Group 1 Automotive, Huntsman Corp and Vishay Intertechnology

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – June 11, 2021 – Stocks in this week’s article are Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. (LL - Free Report) , Boise Cascade Company (BCC - Free Report) , Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (GPI - Free Report) , Huntsman Corporation (HUN - Free Report) and Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (VSH - Free Report) .

Buy These Low Price-to-Book Value Stocks in June

Value investing offers an opportunity to enter the market and grab stocks that have otherwise been overlooked by the majority of investors and are thus trading at cheap multiples.

Though price to earnings (P/E) and price to sales (P/S) valuation tools are more commonly used for stock selection, the price-to-book ratio (P/B ratio) is also an easy-to-use metric for identifying bargain stocks with high-growth prospects. The P/B ratio compares the market and book value of the company.

The P/B ratio is calculated as below:

P/B ratio = market capitalization/book value of equity

What is Book Value?

There are several ways by which book value can be defined. Book value is the total value that would be left over, according to the company’s balance sheet, if it goes bankrupt immediately. In other words, this is what shareholders would theoretically receive if a company liquidates all its assets after paying off all its liabilities.

It is calculated by subtracting total liabilities from the total assets of a company. In most cases, this equates to common stockholders’ equity on the balance sheet. However, depending on the company’s balance sheet, intangible assets should also be subtracted from total assets to determine book value.

Understanding P/B Ratio

By comparing the book value of equity to its market price, we get an idea of whether a company is under- or overpriced. However, like P/E or P/S ratio, it is always better to compare P/B ratios within industries.

A P/B ratio of less than one means that the stock is trading at less than its book value, or the stock is undervalued and therefore a good buy. Conversely, a stock with a ratio greater than one can be interpreted as being overvalued or relatively expensive.

For example, a stock with a P/B ratio of 2 means that we pay $2 for every $1 of book value. Thus, the higher the P/B, the more expensive the stock.

But there is a caveat. A P/B ratio less than one can also mean that the company is earning weak or even negative returns on its assets, or that the assets are overstated, in which case the stock should be shunned because it may be destroying shareholder value. Conversely, the stock’s price may be significantly high — thereby pushing the P/B ratio to more than one — in the likely case that it has become a takeover target, a good enough reason to own the stock.

Moreover, the P/B ratio isn't without limitations. It is useful for businesses — like finance, investments, insurance and banking or manufacturing companies — with many liquid/tangible assets on the books. However, it can be misleading for firms with significant R&D expenditure, high debt, service companies or those with negative earnings.

In any case, the ratio is not particularly relevant as a standalone number. One should analyze other ratios like P/E, P/S and debt to equity before arriving at a reasonable investment decision.

For the rest of this Screen of the Week article please visit Zacks.com at: https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/1685655/buy-these-6-low-price-to-book-value-stocks-in-june

Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.

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Strong Stocks that Should Be in the News

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