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Are Investors Undervaluing Koppers (KOP) Right Now?

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The proven Zacks Rank system focuses on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find winning stocks. Nevertheless, we know that our readers all have their own perspectives, so we are always looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong picks.

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.

Luckily, Zacks has developed its own Style Scores system in an effort to find stocks with specific traits. Value investors will be interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with both "A" grades in the Value category and high Zacks Ranks are among the strongest value stocks on the market right now.

One stock to keep an eye on is Koppers (KOP - Free Report) . KOP is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. The stock holds a P/E ratio of 6.4, while its industry has an average P/E of 13.50. Over the past 52 weeks, KOP's Forward P/E has been as high as 9.16 and as low as 5.38, with a median of 6.83.

Investors should also recognize that KOP has a P/B ratio of 1.1. The P/B is a method of comparing a stock's market value to its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. KOP's current P/B looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/B of 2.10. Within the past 52 weeks, KOP's P/B has been as high as 1.55 and as low as 0.97, with a median of 1.26.

Value investors also frequently use the P/S ratio. This metric is found by dividing a stock's price with the company's revenue. This is a popular metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement, so they are often considered a better performance indicator. KOP has a P/S ratio of 0.53. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.72.

Value investors will likely look at more than just these metrics, but the above data helps show that Koppers is likely undervalued currently. And when considering the strength of its earnings outlook, KOP sticks out as one of the market's strongest value stocks.

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