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Zacks.com featured highlights include Strategic Education, Arrow Electronics, PG&E and NatWest
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For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – April 13, 2026 – Stocks in this week’s article are Strategic Education, Inc. (STRA - Free Report) , Arrow Electronics, Inc. (ARW - Free Report) , PG&E Corp. (PCG - Free Report) and NatWest Group plc (NWG - Free Report) .
4 Value Stocks to Buy as Wall Street Weighs Ceasefire Hopes
The U.S. stock market closed higher on Thursday, as improving geopolitical sentiment helped offset pressure from elevated energy prices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 275.88 points, or 0.58%, to finish at 48,185.80. Broader indexes followed suit, with the S&P 500 rising 0.62% to 6,824.66, while the Nasdaq Composite outperformed with a 0.83% increase to close at 22,822.42.
Investor confidence was underpinned by cautious optimism about diplomatic progress in the Middle East, particularly efforts to stabilize the tenuous U.S.-Iran ceasefire. Dialogue signals between Israel and Lebanon contributed to a late-session rebound after earlier weakness, reinforcing expectations of potential de-escalation.
Even as easing geopolitical tensions supported sentiment, investors remained attentive to the monetary policy outlook. Policymakers continued to cite persistent inflationary pressures, amplified by geopolitical risks and energy prices, as grounds for maintaining a hawkish stance.
Against this backdrop, value stocks present an appealing opportunity. When evaluating value stocks, one of the most effective valuation metrics is the Price to Cash Flow (P/CF) ratio. This metric measures the market price of a stock relative to the cash flow the company generates on a per-share basis. A lower P/CF ratio indicates that the stock is trading at a better value, offering strong cash generation potential relative to its price.
Companies — Strategic Education, Inc., Arrow Electronics, Inc., PG&E Corp. and NatWest Group plc — boast a low P/CF ratio.
Price to Cash Flow Reflects Financial Health
You must be wondering why we consider the P/CF valuation metric when the most widely used valuation metric is Price/Earnings (or P/E). An important factor that makes P/CF a highly dependable metric is that operating cash flow adds back non-cash charges such as depreciation and amortization to net income, truly diagnosing a company’s financial health.
Analysts caution that a company’s earnings are subject to accounting estimates and management manipulation. Then again, cash flow is quite reliable. Net cash flow unveils how much money a company generates and how effectively management is deploying the same.
Positive cash flow indicates an increase in the company’s liquid assets. This gives the company the means to settle debt, meet its expenses, reinvest in the business, endure downturns and finally undertake shareholder-friendly moves. Negative cash flow implies a decline in the company’s liquidity, which, in turn, lowers its flexibility to support these endeavors.
What’s the Best Value Investing Strategy?
An investment decision based solely on the P/CF metric may not yield the desired results. To identify stocks that are trading at a discount, you should expand your search criteria and also consider the price-to-book ratio, price-to-earnings ratio and price-to-sales ratio. Adding a favorable Zacks Rank and a Value Score of A or B to your search criteria should lead to even better results as these eliminate the chance of falling into a value trap.
Here are four out of the 12 value stocks that qualified the screening:
Strategic Education, which provides education services, sports a Zacks Rank #1. The company has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 19.9%, on average. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Strategic Education’s current financial-year sales and EPS indicates growth of 4.1% and 12.8%, respectively, from the year-ago period. STRA has a Value Score of B.
Arrow Electronics, which sources and engineers technology solutions for leading manufacturers and service providers, carries a Zacks Rank #2. The company has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 17.9%, on average.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Arrow Electronics’ current financial-year sales and EPS calls for growth of 9.2% and 20.2%, respectively, from the year-ago period. ARW has a Value Score of A.
PG&E Corporation, through its subsidiary Pacific Gas and Electric Company, engages in the sale and delivery of electricity and natural gas. The stock carries a Zacks Rank #2. The company has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 0.5%, on average.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PG&E Corporation’s current financial-year sales and EPS implies growth of 5.7% and 10%, respectively, from the year-ago period. PCG has a Value Score of A.
NatWest Group, the provider of personal and commercial banking and other financial solutions, carries a Zacks Rank #2. The company has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 17.9%, on average.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NatWest Group’s current financial-year sales and EPS implies growth of 7.4% and 8.9%, respectively, from the year-ago period. NWG has a Value Score of B.
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Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation.
Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.
About Screen of the Week
Zacks.com created the first and best screening system on the web earning the distinction as the "#1 site for screening stocks" by Money Magazine. But powerful screening tools is just the start. That is why Zacks created the Screen of the Week to highlight profitable stock picking strategies that investors can actively use.
Strong Stocks that Should Be in the News
Many are little publicized and fly under the Wall Street radar. They're virtually unknown to the general public. Yet today's 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buys" were generated by the stock-picking system that has more than doubled the market from 1988 through 2016. Its average gain has been a stellar +25% per year. See these high-potential stocks free >>.
Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.
Zacks.com provides investment resources and informs you of these resources, which you may choose to use in making your own investment decisions. Zacks is providing information on this resource to you subject to the Zacks "Terms and Conditions of Service" disclaimer. www.zacks.com/disclaimer.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
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Zacks.com featured highlights include Strategic Education, Arrow Electronics, PG&E and NatWest
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – April 13, 2026 – Stocks in this week’s article are Strategic Education, Inc. (STRA - Free Report) , Arrow Electronics, Inc. (ARW - Free Report) , PG&E Corp. (PCG - Free Report) and NatWest Group plc (NWG - Free Report) .
4 Value Stocks to Buy as Wall Street Weighs Ceasefire Hopes
The U.S. stock market closed higher on Thursday, as improving geopolitical sentiment helped offset pressure from elevated energy prices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 275.88 points, or 0.58%, to finish at 48,185.80. Broader indexes followed suit, with the S&P 500 rising 0.62% to 6,824.66, while the Nasdaq Composite outperformed with a 0.83% increase to close at 22,822.42.
Investor confidence was underpinned by cautious optimism about diplomatic progress in the Middle East, particularly efforts to stabilize the tenuous U.S.-Iran ceasefire. Dialogue signals between Israel and Lebanon contributed to a late-session rebound after earlier weakness, reinforcing expectations of potential de-escalation.
Even as easing geopolitical tensions supported sentiment, investors remained attentive to the monetary policy outlook. Policymakers continued to cite persistent inflationary pressures, amplified by geopolitical risks and energy prices, as grounds for maintaining a hawkish stance.
Against this backdrop, value stocks present an appealing opportunity. When evaluating value stocks, one of the most effective valuation metrics is the Price to Cash Flow (P/CF) ratio. This metric measures the market price of a stock relative to the cash flow the company generates on a per-share basis. A lower P/CF ratio indicates that the stock is trading at a better value, offering strong cash generation potential relative to its price.
Companies — Strategic Education, Inc., Arrow Electronics, Inc., PG&E Corp. and NatWest Group plc — boast a low P/CF ratio.
Price to Cash Flow Reflects Financial Health
You must be wondering why we consider the P/CF valuation metric when the most widely used valuation metric is Price/Earnings (or P/E). An important factor that makes P/CF a highly dependable metric is that operating cash flow adds back non-cash charges such as depreciation and amortization to net income, truly diagnosing a company’s financial health.
Analysts caution that a company’s earnings are subject to accounting estimates and management manipulation. Then again, cash flow is quite reliable. Net cash flow unveils how much money a company generates and how effectively management is deploying the same.
Positive cash flow indicates an increase in the company’s liquid assets. This gives the company the means to settle debt, meet its expenses, reinvest in the business, endure downturns and finally undertake shareholder-friendly moves. Negative cash flow implies a decline in the company’s liquidity, which, in turn, lowers its flexibility to support these endeavors.
What’s the Best Value Investing Strategy?
An investment decision based solely on the P/CF metric may not yield the desired results. To identify stocks that are trading at a discount, you should expand your search criteria and also consider the price-to-book ratio, price-to-earnings ratio and price-to-sales ratio. Adding a favorable Zacks Rank and a Value Score of A or B to your search criteria should lead to even better results as these eliminate the chance of falling into a value trap.
Here are four out of the 12 value stocks that qualified the screening:
Strategic Education, which provides education services, sports a Zacks Rank #1. The company has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 19.9%, on average. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Strategic Education’s current financial-year sales and EPS indicates growth of 4.1% and 12.8%, respectively, from the year-ago period. STRA has a Value Score of B.
Arrow Electronics, which sources and engineers technology solutions for leading manufacturers and service providers, carries a Zacks Rank #2. The company has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 17.9%, on average.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Arrow Electronics’ current financial-year sales and EPS calls for growth of 9.2% and 20.2%, respectively, from the year-ago period. ARW has a Value Score of A.
PG&E Corporation, through its subsidiary Pacific Gas and Electric Company, engages in the sale and delivery of electricity and natural gas. The stock carries a Zacks Rank #2. The company has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 0.5%, on average.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PG&E Corporation’s current financial-year sales and EPS implies growth of 5.7% and 10%, respectively, from the year-ago period. PCG has a Value Score of A.
NatWest Group, the provider of personal and commercial banking and other financial solutions, carries a Zacks Rank #2. The company has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 17.9%, on average.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NatWest Group’s current financial-year sales and EPS implies growth of 7.4% and 8.9%, respectively, from the year-ago period. NWG has a Value Score of B.
Why Haven't You Looked at Zacks' Top Stocks?
Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year.
Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation.
See Stocks Free >>
For the rest of this Screen of the Week article please visit Zacks.com at: https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2898206/4-value-stocks-to-buy-as-wall-street-weighs-ceasefire-hopes
Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.
About Screen of the Week
Zacks.com created the first and best screening system on the web earning the distinction as the "#1 site for screening stocks" by Money Magazine. But powerful screening tools is just the start. That is why Zacks created the Screen of the Week to highlight profitable stock picking strategies that investors can actively use.
Strong Stocks that Should Be in the News
Many are little publicized and fly under the Wall Street radar. They're virtually unknown to the general public. Yet today's 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buys" were generated by the stock-picking system that has more than doubled the market from 1988 through 2016. Its average gain has been a stellar +25% per year. See these high-potential stocks free >>.
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Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.
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Company: Zacks.com
Phone: 312-265-9268
Email: pr@zacks.com
Visit: https://www.zacks.com/
Zacks.com provides investment resources and informs you of these resources, which you may choose to use in making your own investment decisions. Zacks is providing information on this resource to you subject to the Zacks "Terms and Conditions of Service" disclaimer. www.zacks.com/disclaimer.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.