Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Is Hanger (HNGR) a Great Value Stock Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Here at Zacks, we focus on our proven ranking system, which places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, to find winning stocks. But we also understand that investors develop their own strategies, so we are constantly looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong companies for our readers.

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.

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.

Hanger is a stock many investors are watching right now. HNGR is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 15.76. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 24.67. Over the last 12 months, HNGR's Forward P/E has been as high as 17.96 and as low as 12.08, with a median of 14.23.

Value investors also frequently use the P/S ratio. This metric is found by dividing a stock's price with the company's revenue. This is a prefered metric because revenue can't really be manipulated, so sales are often a truer performance indicator. HNGR has a P/S ratio of 0.62. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.12.

Finally, we should also recognize that HNGR has a P/CF ratio of 10.04. 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. This company's current P/CF looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 29.58. Over the past 52 weeks, HNGR's P/CF has been as high as 14.37 and as low as 7.44, with a median of 9.39.

Value investors will likely look at more than just these metrics, but the above data helps show that Hanger is likely undervalued currently. And when considering the strength of its earnings outlook, HNGR sticks out at as one of the market's strongest value stocks.

Published in