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Should Value Investors Buy Owens Corning (OC) Stock?

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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.

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 tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

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.

Owens Corning (OC - Free Report) is a stock many investors are watching right now. OC is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 10.24, which compares to its industry's average of 16.32. Over the last 12 months, OC's Forward P/E has been as high as 13.40 and as low as 8.54, with a median of 10.70.

Another valuation metric that we should highlight is OC's P/B ratio of 2.38. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This stock's P/B looks attractive against its industry's average P/B of 5.87. Over the past year, OC's P/B has been as high as 3.23 and as low as 2.19, with a median of 2.51.

Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is calculated as price divided by sales. Some people prefer this metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement. This means it could be a truer performance indicator. OC has a P/S ratio of 1.02. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.29.

Finally, investors should note that OC has a P/CF ratio of 11.93. 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. This stock's P/CF looks attractive against its industry's average P/CF of 14.24. OC's P/CF has been as high as 13.25 and as low as 8.85, with a median of 11.70, all within the past year.

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

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