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Is Imperial Tobacco Group (IMBBY) Stock Undervalued Right Now?

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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 rely on traditional forms of analysis on key valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are undervalued, leaving room for profits.

Luckily, Zacks has developed its own Style Scores system in an effort to find stocks with specific traits. Value investors will be interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with both "A" grades in the Value category and high Zacks Ranks are among the strongest value stocks on the market right now.

Imperial Tobacco Group (IMBBY - Free Report) is a stock many investors are watching right now. IMBBY is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. The stock holds a P/E ratio of 9.21, while its industry has an average P/E of 15.34. IMBBY's Forward P/E has been as high as 9.58 and as low as 6.30, with a median of 8.27, all within the past year.

Investors will also notice that IMBBY has a PEG ratio of 1.13. 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. IMBBY's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 2.09. Over the last 12 months, IMBBY's PEG has been as high as 1.18 and as low as 0.82, with a median of 1.09.

Another notable valuation metric for IMBBY is its P/B ratio of 4.87. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. IMBBY's current P/B looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/B of 8.03. Within the past 52 weeks, IMBBY's P/B has been as high as 5.05 and as low as 3.10, with a median of 3.94.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Imperial Tobacco Group's strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, IMBBY looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.

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