Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Should Value Investors Buy Adecco (AHEXY) Stock?

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.

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 a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks.

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 Adecco (AHEXY - Free Report) . AHEXY is currently holding a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock holds a P/E ratio of 8.85, while its industry has an average P/E of 15.11. Over the past year, AHEXY's Forward P/E has been as high as 12.18 and as low as 6.87, with a median of 9.80.

Investors will also notice that AHEXY has a PEG ratio of 0.98. This popular figure is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also considers a company's expected EPS growth rate. AHEXY's industry currently sports an average PEG of 1.63. Within the past year, AHEXY's PEG has been as high as 4.56 and as low as 0.73, with a median of 1.09.

Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is calculated as price divided by sales. This is a preferred metric because revenue can't really be manipulated, so sales are often a truer performance indicator. AHEXY has a P/S ratio of 0.19. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.54.

Finally, investors should note that AHEXY has a P/CF ratio of 7.61. 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. AHEXY's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 18.63. AHEXY's P/CF has been as high as 9.89 and as low as 6.32, with a median of 8.24, all within the past year.

These figures are just a handful of the metrics value investors tend to look at, but they help show that Adecco is likely being undervalued right now. Considering this, as well as the strength of its earnings outlook, AHEXY feels like a great value stock at the moment.

Zacks' 7 Best Strong Buy Stocks (New Research Report)

Valued at $99, click below to receive our just-released report predicting the 7 stocks that will soar highest in the coming month.

Click Here, It's Really Free

Published in