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Pick These 5 Bargain Stocks With Alluring EV-to-EBITDA Ratios
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Key Takeaways
EV-to-EBITDA offers a fuller view of valuation by accounting for debt, unlike traditional P/E ratios.
SCSC, TASK, SBH, BIP and EIX are screened as value stocks with low EV-to-EBITDA ratios.
Each stock meets strict criteria, including valuation, trading volume, price, growth, and Value Score.
Investors generally tend to cling to the price-to-earnings (P/E) metric while looking for bargain stocks. In addition to being a widely used tool for screening stocks, P/E is also a popular metric to work out the fair market value of a company. But even this ubiquitously used valuation multiple has a few downsides.
Although P/E is the most popular valuation metric, a more complicated multiple called EV-to-EBITDA works even better. Often considered a better alternative to P/E, it gives the true picture of a company’s valuation and earnings potential and has a more complete approach to valuation. While P/E considers a firm’s equity portion, EV-to-EBITDA determines its total value.
Also referred to as enterprise multiple, EV-to-EBITDA is the enterprise value (EV) of a stock divided by its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA). EV is the sum of a company’s market capitalization, its debt and preferred stock minus cash and cash equivalents. In essence, it is the entire value of a company. EBITDA, the other element, gives a clearer picture of a company’s profitability by removing the impact of non-cash expenses such as depreciation and amortization that dampen net earnings. It is also often used as a proxy for cash flows.
Typically, the lower the EV-to-EBITDA ratio, the more enticing it is. A low EV-to-EBITDA ratio could indicate that a stock is undervalued. Unlike the P/E ratio, EV-to-EBITDA takes debt on a company’s balance sheet into account. For this reason, it is typically used to value acquisition targets. The ratio shows the amount of debt that the acquirer has to bear. Stocks flaunting a low EV-to-EBITDA multiple could be seen as attractive takeover candidates.
P/E can’t be used to value a loss-making firm. A firm’s earnings are also subject to accounting estimates and management manipulation. In contrast, EV-to-EBITDA is harder to manipulate and can be used to value companies that have negative net earnings but are positive on the EBITDA front. EV-to-EBITDA is also a useful tool in measuring the value of firms that are highly leveraged and have a high degree of depreciation. It can also be used to compare companies with different levels of debt.
EV-to-EBITDA is not devoid of limitations and alone cannot conclusively determine a stock’s inherent potential and future performance. The multiple varies across industries and is usually not appropriate when comparing stocks in different industries, given their diverse capital expenditure requirements.
Thus, instead of just relying on EV-to-EBITDA, you can club it with the other major ratios, such as price-to-book (P/B), P/E and price-to-sales (P/S) to achieve the desired results.
Screening Criteria
Here are the parameters to screen for value stocks:
EV-to-EBITDA 12 Months-Most Recent less than X-Industry Median: A lower EV-to-EBITDA ratio represents a cheaper valuation.
P/E using (F1) less than X-Industry Median: This metric screens stocks that are trading at a discount to their peers.
P/B less than X-Industry Median: A lower P/B compared with the industry average implies that the stock is undervalued.
P/S less than X-Industry Median: The lower the P/S ratio, the more attractive the stock is, as investors will have to pay a smaller price for the same amount of sales generated by the company.
Estimated One-Year EPS Growth F(1)/F(0) greater than or equal to X-Industry Median: This parameter will help in screening stocks that have growth rates higher than the industry median.
Average 20-day Volume greater than or equal to 100,000: The addition of this metric ensures that shares can be traded easily.
Current Price greater than or equal to $5: This parameter will help in screening stocks that are trading at a minimum price of $5 or higher.
Zacks Rank less than or equal to 2: It is a fundamental truth that stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) have always managed to beat adversities and outperform the market.
Value Score of less than or equal to B: Our research shows that stocks with a Value Score of A or B, when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2, offer the best upside potential.
Here are our five picks out of the 12 stocks that passed the screen:
ScanSource is a leading technology distributor, enabling channel sales partners to deliver converging solutions for their end users. This Zacks Rank #1 stock has a Value Score of A.
ScanSource has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 11.2% for fiscal 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SCSC’s fiscal 2026 earnings has been revised 7.9% upward over the past 60 days.
TaskUs is a leading provider of outsourced digital services, serving clients in fast-growing sectors. This Zacks Rank #1 stock has a Value Score of A. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
TaskUs has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 16.3% for 2025. The consensus estimate for TASK’s 2025 earnings has been revised 4.2% upward over the past 60 days.
Sally Beauty is an international specialty retailer and distributor of professional beauty supplies. This Zacks Rank #1 stock has a Value Score of A.
Sally Beauty has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 8.9% for fiscal 2025. The consensus estimate for SBH’s fiscal 2025 earnings has been stable over the past 60 days.
Brookfield Infrastructure Partners owns and operates high-quality, long-life assets in the utilities, transport, midstream and data businesses in North and South America, Asia Pacific and Europe. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has a Value Score of A.
Brookfield Infrastructure has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 6.7% for 2025. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BIP’s 2025 earnings has been revised 0.9% upward over the past 60 days.
Edison International is focused on offering clean and reliable energy and energy services through its independent companies. This Zacks Rank #2 company has a Value Score of A.
Edison International has an expected earnings growth rate of 23.3% for 2025. The consensus estimate for EIX’s 2025 earnings has moved up 0.3% over the past 60 days.
You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge.
The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.
Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.
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Pick These 5 Bargain Stocks With Alluring EV-to-EBITDA Ratios
Key Takeaways
Investors generally tend to cling to the price-to-earnings (P/E) metric while looking for bargain stocks. In addition to being a widely used tool for screening stocks, P/E is also a popular metric to work out the fair market value of a company. But even this ubiquitously used valuation multiple has a few downsides.
Although P/E is the most popular valuation metric, a more complicated multiple called EV-to-EBITDA works even better. Often considered a better alternative to P/E, it gives the true picture of a company’s valuation and earnings potential and has a more complete approach to valuation. While P/E considers a firm’s equity portion, EV-to-EBITDA determines its total value.
ScanSource, Inc. (SCSC - Free Report) , TaskUs, Inc. (TASK - Free Report) , Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. (SBH - Free Report) , Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. (BIP - Free Report) and Edison International (EIX - Free Report) are some stocks with attractive EV-to-EBITDA ratios.
Here’s Why EV-to-EBITDA is a Better Option
Also referred to as enterprise multiple, EV-to-EBITDA is the enterprise value (EV) of a stock divided by its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA). EV is the sum of a company’s market capitalization, its debt and preferred stock minus cash and cash equivalents. In essence, it is the entire value of a company. EBITDA, the other element, gives a clearer picture of a company’s profitability by removing the impact of non-cash expenses such as depreciation and amortization that dampen net earnings. It is also often used as a proxy for cash flows.
Typically, the lower the EV-to-EBITDA ratio, the more enticing it is. A low EV-to-EBITDA ratio could indicate that a stock is undervalued. Unlike the P/E ratio, EV-to-EBITDA takes debt on a company’s balance sheet into account. For this reason, it is typically used to value acquisition targets. The ratio shows the amount of debt that the acquirer has to bear. Stocks flaunting a low EV-to-EBITDA multiple could be seen as attractive takeover candidates.
P/E can’t be used to value a loss-making firm. A firm’s earnings are also subject to accounting estimates and management manipulation. In contrast, EV-to-EBITDA is harder to manipulate and can be used to value companies that have negative net earnings but are positive on the EBITDA front. EV-to-EBITDA is also a useful tool in measuring the value of firms that are highly leveraged and have a high degree of depreciation. It can also be used to compare companies with different levels of debt.
EV-to-EBITDA is not devoid of limitations and alone cannot conclusively determine a stock’s inherent potential and future performance. The multiple varies across industries and is usually not appropriate when comparing stocks in different industries, given their diverse capital expenditure requirements.
Thus, instead of just relying on EV-to-EBITDA, you can club it with the other major ratios, such as price-to-book (P/B), P/E and price-to-sales (P/S) to achieve the desired results.
Screening Criteria
Here are the parameters to screen for value stocks:
EV-to-EBITDA 12 Months-Most Recent less than X-Industry Median: A lower EV-to-EBITDA ratio represents a cheaper valuation.
P/E using (F1) less than X-Industry Median: This metric screens stocks that are trading at a discount to their peers.
P/B less than X-Industry Median: A lower P/B compared with the industry average implies that the stock is undervalued.
P/S less than X-Industry Median: The lower the P/S ratio, the more attractive the stock is, as investors will have to pay a smaller price for the same amount of sales generated by the company.
Estimated One-Year EPS Growth F(1)/F(0) greater than or equal to X-Industry Median: This parameter will help in screening stocks that have growth rates higher than the industry median.
Average 20-day Volume greater than or equal to 100,000: The addition of this metric ensures that shares can be traded easily.
Current Price greater than or equal to $5: This parameter will help in screening stocks that are trading at a minimum price of $5 or higher.
Zacks Rank less than or equal to 2: It is a fundamental truth that stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) have always managed to beat adversities and outperform the market.
Value Score of less than or equal to B: Our research shows that stocks with a Value Score of A or B, when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2, offer the best upside potential.
Here are our five picks out of the 12 stocks that passed the screen:
ScanSource is a leading technology distributor, enabling channel sales partners to deliver converging solutions for their end users. This Zacks Rank #1 stock has a Value Score of A.
ScanSource has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 11.2% for fiscal 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SCSC’s fiscal 2026 earnings has been revised 7.9% upward over the past 60 days.
TaskUs is a leading provider of outsourced digital services, serving clients in fast-growing sectors. This Zacks Rank #1 stock has a Value Score of A. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
TaskUs has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 16.3% for 2025. The consensus estimate for TASK’s 2025 earnings has been revised 4.2% upward over the past 60 days.
Sally Beauty is an international specialty retailer and distributor of professional beauty supplies. This Zacks Rank #1 stock has a Value Score of A.
Sally Beauty has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 8.9% for fiscal 2025. The consensus estimate for SBH’s fiscal 2025 earnings has been stable over the past 60 days.
Brookfield Infrastructure Partners owns and operates high-quality, long-life assets in the utilities, transport, midstream and data businesses in North and South America, Asia Pacific and Europe. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has a Value Score of A.
Brookfield Infrastructure has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 6.7% for 2025. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BIP’s 2025 earnings has been revised 0.9% upward over the past 60 days.
Edison International is focused on offering clean and reliable energy and energy services through its independent companies. This Zacks Rank #2 company has a Value Score of A.
Edison International has an expected earnings growth rate of 23.3% for 2025. The consensus estimate for EIX’s 2025 earnings has moved up 0.3% over the past 60 days.
You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge.
The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.
Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today.
Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.
Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks’ portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance.