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Are Investors Undervaluing Imperial Tobacco Group (IMBBY) Right Now?

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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.

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 Imperial Tobacco Group (IMBBY - Free Report) . IMBBY is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), as well as an A grade for Value. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 9.21, which compares to its industry's average of 15.35. Over the past year, IMBBY's Forward P/E has been as high as 9.58 and as low as 6.30, with a median of 8.27.

Investors should also note that IMBBY holds a PEG ratio of 1.13. This popular figure is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also considers a company's expected EPS growth rate. IMBBY's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 2.21. Within the past year, IMBBY's PEG has been as high as 1.18 and as low as 0.82, with a median of 1.09.

Another notable valuation metric for IMBBY is its P/B ratio of 4.87. 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 7.74. Within the past 52 weeks, IMBBY's P/B has been as high as 5.05 and as low as 3.10, with a median of 3.94.

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

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