Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Is Universal Insurance Holdings (UVE) Stock Undervalued Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

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.

Of these, perhaps no stock market trend is more popular than value investing, which is a strategy that has proven to be successful in all sorts of market environments. 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 to watch right now is Universal Insurance Holdings (UVE - Free Report) . UVE is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), as well as 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 26.49. Over the past year, 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 frequently use the P/S ratio. This metric is found by dividing a stock's price with the company's revenue. 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 0.66. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.21.

Finally, investors should note that UVE has a P/CF ratio of 9.67. This metric focuses on a firm's operating cash flow and is often used to find stocks that are undervalued based on the strength of their cash outlook. This company's current P/CF looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 11.26. Over the past 52 weeks, UVE's P/CF has been as high as 10.53 and as low as 5.48, with a median of 8.73.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Universal Insurance Holdings'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, UVE looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.

Published in