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Is AutoNation (AN) a Great Value Stock 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.

Of these, value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. Value investors use fundamental analysis and traditional valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are being undervalued by the market at large.

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 AutoNation (AN - Free Report) . AN is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), as well as a Value grade of A.

Investors should also note that AN holds a PEG ratio of 0.40. 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. AN's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 0.49. Over the past 52 weeks, AN's PEG has been as high as 1.37 and as low as 0.39, with a median of 1.04.

Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is is calculated as price divided by sales. Some people prefer this metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement. This means it could be a truer performance indicator. AN has a P/S ratio of 0.32. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.38.

Finally, we should also recognize that AN has a P/CF ratio of 7.27. This metric takes into account a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find stocks that are undervalued based on their solid cash outlook. This company's current P/CF looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 9.49. Within the past 12 months, AN's P/CF has been as high as 9.20 and as low as 5.19, with a median of 7.34.

These figures are just a handful of the metrics value investors tend to look at, but they help show that AutoNation is likely being undervalued right now. Considering this, as well as the strength of its earnings outlook, AN feels like a great value stock at the moment.


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