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Are Investors Undervaluing Axis Capital Holdings (AXS) Right Now?

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The proven Zacks Rank system focuses on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find winning stocks. Nevertheless, we know that our readers all have their own perspectives, so we are always looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong picks.

Of these, perhaps no stock market trend is more popular than value investing, which is a strategy that has proven to be successful in all sorts of market environments. 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.

One company value investors might notice is Axis Capital Holdings (AXS - Free Report) . AXS is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), as well as an A grade for Value.

AXS is also sporting a PEG ratio of 1.82. 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. AXS's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 2.83. Over the past 52 weeks, AXS's PEG has been as high as 2.62 and as low as 1.72, with a median of 2.02.

Another notable valuation metric for AXS is its P/B ratio of 1.09. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This company's current P/B looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/B of 1.28. AXS's P/B has been as high as 1.13 and as low as 0.79, with a median of 0.93, over the past year.

Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is is calculated as price divided by 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. AXS has a P/S ratio of 0.92. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.99.

Finally, we should also recognize that AXS has a P/CF ratio of 6.68. 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. AXS's current P/CF looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 6.99. Over the past 52 weeks, AXS's P/CF has been as high as 16.07 and as low as 6, with a median of 8.41.

Investors could also keep in mind Tokio Marine (TKOMY - Free Report) , an Insurance - Property and Casualty stock with a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy) and Value grade of A.

Tokio Marine is trading at a forward earnings multiple of 13.06 at the moment, with a PEG ratio of 0.43. This compares to its industry's average P/E of 28.57 and average PEG ratio of 2.83.

TKOMY's price-to-earnings ratio has been as high as 15.35 and as low as 7.64, with a median of 11.17, while its PEG ratio has been as high as 1.26 and as low as 0.43, with a median of 0.48, all within the past year.

Tokio Marine also has a P/B ratio of 1.16 compared to its industry's price-to-book ratio of 1.28. Over the past year, its P/B ratio has been as high as 1.23, as low as 0.88, with a median of 1.02.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Axis Capital Holdings and Tokio Marine strong Value grade, but they help show that the stocks are likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, AXS and TKOMY look like an impressive value stock at the moment.


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