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Should Value Investors Buy Rio Tinto (RIO) Stock?

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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.

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 company value investors might notice is Rio Tinto (RIO - Free Report) . RIO is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 9.99, which compares to its industry's average of 13.80. RIO's Forward P/E has been as high as 10.78 and as low as 8.49, with a median of 9.64, all within the past year.

We also note that RIO holds a PEG ratio of 0.37. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. RIO's industry has an average PEG of 0.87 right now. RIO's PEG has been as high as 0.43 and as low as 0.35, with a median of 0.39, all within the past year.

Value investors will likely look at more than just these metrics, but the above data helps show that Rio Tinto is likely undervalued currently. And when considering the strength of its earnings outlook, RIO sticks out as one of the market's strongest value stocks.

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