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Should Value Investors Buy Itron (ITRI) Stock?

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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.

Of these, perhaps no stock market trend is more popular than value investing, which is a strategy that has proven to be successful in all sorts of market environments. 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 to watch right now is Itron (ITRI - Free Report) . ITRI is currently holding a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 19.59, which compares to its industry's average of 23.97. Over the last 12 months, ITRI's Forward P/E has been as high as 25.88 and as low as 16.50, with a median of 21.46.

We should also highlight that ITRI has a P/B ratio of 3.37. 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 4.36. Over the past 12 months, ITRI's P/B has been as high as 4.10 and as low as 2.78, with a median of 3.47.

Finally, investors should note that ITRI has a P/CF ratio of 16.89. This figure highlights a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find firms that are undervalued when considering their impressive cash outlook. ITRI's current P/CF looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 26.81. Over the past year, ITRI's P/CF has been as high as 20.38 and as low as 13.50, with a median of 16.93.

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

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