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Are Investors Undervaluing First BanCorp. (FBP) Right Now?

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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.

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 fundamental analysis and traditional valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are being undervalued by the market at large.

In addition to the Zacks Rank, investors looking for stocks with specific traits can utilize our Style Scores system. Of course, value investors will be most interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with "A" grades for Value and high Zacks Ranks are among the best value stocks available at any given moment.

One stock to keep an eye on is First BanCorp. (FBP - Free Report) . FBP is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and an A for Value. The stock holds a P/E ratio of 8.84, while its industry has an average P/E of 9.96. FBP's Forward P/E has been as high as 11.46 and as low as 7.89, with a median of 9.03, all within the past year.

Investors should also note that FBP holds a PEG ratio of 0.85. 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. FBP's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 1.08. Over the last 12 months, FBP's PEG has been as high as 1.74 and as low as 0.22, with a median of 0.90.

Finally, we should also recognize that FBP has a P/CF ratio of 8.78. This metric takes into account a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find stocks that are undervalued based on their solid cash outlook. This stock's P/CF looks attractive against its industry's average P/CF of 13.83. FBP's P/CF has been as high as 10.54 and as low as 7.61, with a median of 8.68, all within the past year.

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


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