Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Are Investors Undervaluing Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) 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, 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.

In addition to the Zacks Rank, investors looking for stocks with specific traits can utilize our Style Scores system. Of course, value investors will be most interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with "A" grades for Value and high Zacks Ranks are among the best value stocks available at any given moment.

One company to watch right now is Archer Daniels Midland (ADM - Free Report) . ADM is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), as well as an A grade for Value. The stock holds a P/E ratio of 13.41, while its industry has an average P/E of 14.90. Over the past 52 weeks, ADM's Forward P/E has been as high as 14.13 and as low as 9.50, with a median of 11.12.

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. ADM has a P/S ratio of 0.45. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.81.

Finally, investors should note that ADM has a P/CF ratio of 13.25. 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 14.30. Over the past 52 weeks, ADM's P/CF has been as high as 13.80 and as low as 7.44, with a median of 9.16.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Archer Daniels Midland'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, ADM looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.

Published in