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Is Axis Capital Holdings (AXS) 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 use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

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.

Axis Capital Holdings (AXS - Free Report) is a stock many investors are watching right now. AXS is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A.

AXS is also sporting a PEG ratio of 1.94. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. AXS's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 2.91. Within the past year, AXS's PEG has been as high as 2.94 and as low as 1.78, with a median of 2.03.

Investors should also recognize that AXS has a P/B ratio of 1.07. 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. This stock's P/B looks attractive against its industry's average P/B of 1.30. Within the past 52 weeks, AXS's P/B has been as high as 1.13 and as low as 0.79, with a median of 0.93.

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. AXS has a P/S ratio of 0.91. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.03.

Finally, we should also recognize that AXS has a P/CF ratio of 6.53. This data point considers a firm's operating cash flow and is frequently used to find companies that are undervalued when considering their solid cash outlook. AXS's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 6.68. AXS's P/CF has been as high as 17.28 and as low as 6, with a median of 8.56, all within the past year.

Another great Insurance - Property and Casualty stock you could consider is Kingstone Companies (KINS - Free Report) , which is a # 2 (Buy) stock with a Value Score of A.

Kingstone Companies also has a P/B ratio of 0.59 compared to its industry's price-to-book ratio of 1.30. Over the past year, its P/B ratio has been as high as 1.04, as low as 0.59, with a median of 0.79.

These are just a handful of the figures considered in Axis Capital Holdings and Kingstone Companies'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 AXS and KINS is an impressive value stock right now.


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