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Should Value Investors Buy Universal Insurance Holdings (UVE) Stock?

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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.

Of these, value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. Value investors use fundamental analysis and traditional valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are being undervalued by the market at large.

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.

Universal Insurance Holdings (UVE - Free Report) is a stock many investors are watching right now. UVE is currently holding a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 9.17. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 25.92. Over the last 12 months, UVE's Forward P/E has been as high as 12.67 and as low as 6.58, with a median of 8.58.

Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is calculated as price divided by sales. Some people prefer this metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement. This means it could be a truer performance indicator. UVE has a P/S ratio of 0.58. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.3.

Finally, investors should note that UVE has a P/CF ratio of 9.67. This data point considers a firm's operating cash flow and is frequently used to find companies that are undervalued when considering their solid cash outlook. This company's current P/CF looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 11.50. UVE's P/CF has been as high as 10.53 and as low as 5.48, with a median of 8.73, 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 Universal Insurance Holdings is likely being undervalued right now. Considering this, as well as the strength of its earnings outlook, UVE feels like a great value stock at the moment.

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