Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Are Investors Undervaluing Park-Ohio (PKOH) Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

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.

Considering these trends, value investing is clearly one of the most preferred ways to find strong stocks in any type of market. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks.

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.

One stock to keep an eye on is Park-Ohio (PKOH - Free Report) . PKOH is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A.

Investors should also recognize that PKOH has a P/B ratio of 0.82. 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 1.60. PKOH's P/B has been as high as 1.32 and as low as 0.59, with a median of 0.92, over the past year.

Value investors also frequently use the P/S ratio. This metric is found by dividing a stock's price with the company's revenue. Some people prefer this metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement. This means it could be a truer performance indicator. PKOH has a P/S ratio of 0.37. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.38.

Finally, investors should note that PKOH has a P/CF ratio of 4.93. 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 8.98. Over the past 52 weeks, PKOH's P/CF has been as high as 8.92 and as low as 3.56, with a median of 4.87.

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

Published in