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Should Value Investors Buy Mercury General (MCY) Stock?
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While the proven Zacks Rank places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find strong stocks, we also know that investors tend to develop their own individual strategies. With this in mind, we are always looking at value, growth, and momentum trends to discover great companies.
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 rely on traditional forms of analysis on key valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are undervalued, leaving room for profits.
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 stock to keep an eye on is Mercury General (MCY - Free Report) . MCY is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), as well as an A grade for Value. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 11.97, which compares to its industry's average of 27.76. Over the last 12 months, MCY's Forward P/E has been as high as 163.64 and as low as 6.83, with a median of 13.27.
Value investors also love the P/S ratio, which is calculated by simply dividing a stock's price with the company's sales. This is a preferred metric because revenue can't really be manipulated, so sales are often a truer performance indicator. MCY has a P/S ratio of 0.75. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.29.
Finally, investors should note that MCY has a P/CF ratio of 9.25. 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. This stock's P/CF looks attractive against its industry's average P/CF of 12.92. MCY's P/CF has been as high as 10.18 and as low as 4.83, with a median of 7.64, all within the past year.
The Hanover Insurance Group (THG - Free Report) may be another strong Insurance - Property and Casualty stock to add to your shortlist. THG is a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) stock with a Value grade of A.
The Hanover Insurance Group also has a P/B ratio of 1.98 compared to its industry's price-to-book ratio of 1.56. Over the past year, its P/B ratio has been as high as 2.21, as low as 1.78, with a median of 1.97.
These are just a handful of the figures considered in Mercury General and The Hanover Insurance 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 MCY and THG is an impressive value stock right now.
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Should Value Investors Buy Mercury General (MCY) Stock?
While the proven Zacks Rank places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find strong stocks, we also know that investors tend to develop their own individual strategies. With this in mind, we are always looking at value, growth, and momentum trends to discover great companies.
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 rely on traditional forms of analysis on key valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are undervalued, leaving room for profits.
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 stock to keep an eye on is Mercury General (MCY - Free Report) . MCY is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), as well as an A grade for Value. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 11.97, which compares to its industry's average of 27.76. Over the last 12 months, MCY's Forward P/E has been as high as 163.64 and as low as 6.83, with a median of 13.27.
Value investors also love the P/S ratio, which is calculated by simply dividing a stock's price with the company's sales. This is a preferred metric because revenue can't really be manipulated, so sales are often a truer performance indicator. MCY has a P/S ratio of 0.75. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.29.
Finally, investors should note that MCY has a P/CF ratio of 9.25. 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. This stock's P/CF looks attractive against its industry's average P/CF of 12.92. MCY's P/CF has been as high as 10.18 and as low as 4.83, with a median of 7.64, all within the past year.
The Hanover Insurance Group (THG - Free Report) may be another strong Insurance - Property and Casualty stock to add to your shortlist. THG is a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) stock with a Value grade of A.
The Hanover Insurance Group also has a P/B ratio of 1.98 compared to its industry's price-to-book ratio of 1.56. Over the past year, its P/B ratio has been as high as 2.21, as low as 1.78, with a median of 1.97.
These are just a handful of the figures considered in Mercury General and The Hanover Insurance 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 MCY and THG is an impressive value stock right now.