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Is Heritage Insurance (HRTG) a Great Value Stock 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 tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

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 company value investors might notice is Heritage Insurance (HRTG - Free Report) . HRTG is currently holding a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A.

Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is calculated as price divided by sales. This is a preferred metric because revenue can't really be manipulated, so sales are often a truer performance indicator. HRTG has a P/S ratio of 1.23. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.45.

Finally, investors should note that HRTG has a P/CF ratio of 7.53. 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 company's current P/CF looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 10.70. Within the past 12 months, HRTG's P/CF has been as high as 9.22 and as low as 3.66, with a median of 5.56.

Investors could also keep in mind United Fire Group (UFCS - Free Report) , another Insurance - Property and Casualty stock with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and Value grade of A.

Additionally, United Fire Group has a P/B ratio of 0.94 while its industry's price-to-book ratio sits at 1.49. For UFCS, this valuation metric has been as high as 1.02, as low as 0.62, with a median of 0.87 over the past year.

Value investors will likely look at more than just these metrics, but the above data helps show that Heritage Insurance and United Fire Group are likely undervalued currently. And when considering the strength of its earnings outlook, HRTG and UFCS sticks out as one of the market's strongest value stocks.

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