Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Are Investors Undervaluing Merck KGaA (MKKGY) Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

While the proven Zacks Rank places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find strong stocks, we also know that investors tend to develop their own individual strategies. With this in mind, we are always looking at value, growth, and momentum trends to discover great companies.

Looking at the history of these trends, perhaps none is more beloved than value investing. This strategy simply looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader market. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks.

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.

One company value investors might notice is Merck KGaA (MKKGY - Free Report) . MKKGY is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and an A for Value.

Investors should also recognize that MKKGY has a P/B ratio of 0.51. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with 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 1.53. Within the past 52 weeks, MKKGY's P/B has been as high as 0.79 and as low as 0.49, with a median of 0.57.

Finally, investors should note that MKKGY has a P/CF ratio of 6.31. 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 12.33. MKKGY's P/CF has been as high as 16.19 and as low as 5.95, with a median of 6.94, all within the past year.

These are just a handful of the figures considered in Merck KGaA's great Value grade. Still, they help show that the stock is likely being undervalued at the moment. Add this to the strength of its earnings outlook, and we can clearly see that MKKGY is an impressive value stock right now.

Published in