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Is Horace Mann Educators (HMN) a Great Value Stock Right Now?

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Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks.

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.

On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today.

One stock to keep an eye on is Horace Mann Educators (HMN - Free Report) . HMN is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and an A for Value.

Investors should also recognize that HMN has a P/B ratio of 1.37. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This company's current P/B looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/B of 2.20. HMN's P/B has been as high as 1.43 and as low as 1.09, with a median of 1.28, over the past year.

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 popular metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement, so they are often considered a better performance indicator. HMN has a P/S ratio of 1.1. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.11.

If you're looking for another solid Insurance - Multi line value stock, take a look at Ping An Insurance Co. of China (PNGAY - Free Report) . PNGAY is a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy) stock with a Value score of A.

Ping An Insurance Co. of China sports a P/B ratio of 0.68 as well; this compares to its industry's price-to-book ratio of 2.20. In the past 52 weeks, PNGAY's P/B has been as high as 0.81, as low as 0.47, with a median of 0.61.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Horace Mann Educators and Ping An Insurance Co. of China strong Value grade, but they help show that the stocks are likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, HMN and PNGAY look like an impressive value stock at the moment.


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