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Are Investors Undervaluing LabCorp (LH) 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.

Considering these trends, value investing is clearly one of the most preferred ways to find strong stocks in any type of market. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks.

Luckily, Zacks has developed its own Style Scores system in an effort to find stocks with specific traits. Value investors will be interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with both "A" grades in the Value category and high Zacks Ranks are among the strongest value stocks on the market right now.

LabCorp (LH - Free Report) is a stock many investors are watching right now. LH is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 14.45. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 19.01. Over the last 12 months, LH's Forward P/E has been as high as 16.27 and as low as 10.55, with a median of 12.75.

We also note that LH holds a PEG ratio of 1.37. This figure is similar to the commonly-used P/E ratio, with the PEG ratio also factoring in a company's expected earnings growth rate. LH's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 1.54. Over the past 52 weeks, LH's PEG has been as high as 2.64 and as low as 1.04, with a median of 1.27.

We should also highlight that LH has a P/B ratio of 2.70. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This stock's P/B looks attractive against its industry's average P/B of 5.82. LH's P/B has been as high as 2.74 and as low as 2.12, with a median of 2.46, over the past year.

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. LH has a P/S ratio of 1.77. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 3.43.

These are just a handful of the figures considered in LabCorp'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 LH is an impressive value stock right now.


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