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Are Investors Undervaluing Churchill Downs (CHDN) Right Now?

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Here at Zacks, we focus on our proven ranking system, which places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, to find winning stocks. But we also understand that investors develop their own strategies, so we are constantly looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong companies for our readers.

Considering these trends, value investing is clearly one of the most preferred ways to find strong stocks in any type of market. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks.

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 stock to keep an eye on is Churchill Downs (CHDN - Free Report) . CHDN is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and an A for Value. The stock holds a P/E ratio of 14.21, while its industry has an average P/E of 24.02. Over the last 12 months, CHDN's Forward P/E has been as high as 22.77 and as low as 12.94, with a median of 16.51.

We also note that CHDN holds a PEG ratio of 1.63. 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. CHDN's industry has an average PEG of 1.64 right now. Over the past 52 weeks, CHDN's PEG has been as high as 3.70 and as low as 1.63, with a median of 2.57.

Investors should also recognize that CHDN has a P/B ratio of 6.42. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This company's current P/B looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/B of 9.22. Over the past 12 months, CHDN's P/B has been as high as 10.03 and as low as 5.93, with a median of 7.60.

Finally, investors should note that CHDN has a P/CF ratio of 10.49. 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. CHDN's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 24.05. CHDN's P/CF has been as high as 18 and as low as 10.22, with a median of 13.14, all within the past year.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Churchill Downs'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, CHDN looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.

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