Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Is HeritageCrystal Clean (HCCI) Stock Undervalued Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

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.

Considering these trends, value investing is clearly one of the most preferred ways to find strong stocks in any type of 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.

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 company to watch right now is HeritageCrystal Clean . HCCI is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and an A for Value. The stock is trading with P/E ratio of 8.54 right now. For comparison, its industry sports an average P/E of 20.46. Over the past year, HCCI's Forward P/E has been as high as 21.80 and as low as 8.54, with a median of 13.99.

We also note that HCCI holds a PEG ratio of 0.57. 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. HCCI's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 1.64. Over the last 12 months, HCCI's PEG has been as high as 1.45 and as low as 0.57, with a median of 0.93.

Value investors also love the P/S ratio, which is calculated by simply dividing a stock's price with the company's 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. HCCI has a P/S ratio of 0.99. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.08.

Finally, we should also recognize that HCCI has a P/CF ratio of 6. This figure highlights a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find firms that are undervalued when considering their impressive cash outlook. This company's current P/CF looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 15.50. Within the past 12 months, HCCI's P/CF has been as high as 11.68 and as low as 6, with a median of 7.74.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in HeritageCrystal Clean's strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, HCCI looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.

Published in