Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Should Value Investors Buy Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria (BBVA) Stock?

Read MoreHide Full Article

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.

Considering these trends, value investing is clearly one of the most preferred ways to find strong stocks in any type of market. Value investors rely on traditional forms of analysis on key valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are undervalued, leaving room for profits.

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.

Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria (BBVA - Free Report) is a stock many investors are watching right now. BBVA is currently holding a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 9.5. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 10.72. Over the past year, BBVA's Forward P/E has been as high as 9.83 and as low as 5.63, with a median of 7.70.

We should also highlight that BBVA has a P/B ratio of 1.63. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against 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 2.66. BBVA's P/B has been as high as 1.63 and as low as 0.85, with a median of 1.24, over the past year.

Finally, we should also recognize that BBVA has a P/CF ratio of 8.79. 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. This stock's P/CF looks attractive against its industry's average P/CF of 18.12. BBVA's P/CF has been as high as 8.79 and as low as 4.56, with a median of 6.19, all within the past year.

Bank of Communications (BCMXY - Free Report) may be another strong Banks - Foreign stock to add to your shortlist. BCMXY is a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) stock with a Value grade of A.

Bank of Communications sports a P/B ratio of 0.41 as well; this compares to its industry's price-to-book ratio of 2.66. In the past 52 weeks, BCMXY's P/B has been as high as 0.44, as low as 0.31, with a median of 0.37.

These figures are just a handful of the metrics value investors tend to look at, but they help show that Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria and Bank of Communications are likely being undervalued right now. Considering this, as well as the strength of its earnings outlook, BBVA and BCMXY feels like a great value stock at the moment.

Published in