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Are Investors Undervaluing Lloyds Banking Group (LYG) 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, value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. Value investors use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today.

Lloyds Banking Group (LYG - Free Report) is a stock many investors are watching right now. LYG is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 6.44, which compares to its industry's average of 8.15. Over the past year, LYG's Forward P/E has been as high as 9.47 and as low as 5.48, with a median of 7.08.

We also note that LYG holds a PEG ratio of 0.21. This popular figure is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also considers a company's expected EPS growth rate. LYG's industry currently sports an average PEG of 0.47. Over the last 12 months, LYG's PEG has been as high as 0.30 and as low as 0.18, with a median of 0.23.

Investors should also recognize that LYG has a P/B ratio of 0.61. The P/B is a method of comparing a stock's market value to 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 1.25. LYG's P/B has been as high as 0.73 and as low as 0.50, with a median of 0.59, 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. LYG has a P/S ratio of 1.21. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.28.

These are just a handful of the figures considered in Lloyds Banking Group'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 LYG is an impressive value stock right now.


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