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Is MidWestOne Financial Group (MOFG) 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.

Looking at the history of these trends, perhaps none is more beloved than value investing. This strategy simply looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader market. Value investors rely on traditional forms of analysis on key valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are undervalued, leaving room for profits.

Zacks has developed the innovative Style Scores system to highlight stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will be interested in stocks with great grades in the "Value" category. When paired with a high Zacks Rank, "A" grades in the Value category are among the strongest value stocks on the market today.

One stock to keep an eye on is MidWestOne Financial Group (MOFG - Free Report) . MOFG is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), as well as an A grade for Value. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 9.38, which compares to its industry's average of 12.76. MOFG's Forward P/E has been as high as 11.77 and as low as 7.33, with a median of 9.48, all within the past year.

Another notable valuation metric for MOFG is its P/B ratio of 0.94. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. MOFG's current P/B looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/B of 2.11. MOFG's P/B has been as high as 1.03 and as low as 0.77, with a median of 0.94, over 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. MOFG has a P/S ratio of 2.21. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 3.04.

Finally, investors should note that MOFG has a P/CF ratio of 6.97. This metric focuses on a firm's operating cash flow and is often used to find stocks that are undervalued based on the strength of their cash outlook. This stock's P/CF looks attractive against its industry's average P/CF of 15.52. Over the past year, MOFG's P/CF has been as high as 12.42 and as low as 6.28, with a median of 7.23.

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


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