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Is Honda Motor Co. (HMC) Stock Undervalued Right Now?

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The proven Zacks Rank system focuses on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find winning stocks. Nevertheless, we know that our readers all have their own perspectives, so we are always looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find 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.

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.

Honda Motor Co. (HMC - Free Report) is a stock many investors are watching right now. HMC is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and an A for Value. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 9.87, which compares to its industry's average of 10.21. Over the last 12 months, HMC's Forward P/E has been as high as 10.44 and as low as 5.17, with a median of 6.92.

Another notable valuation metric for HMC is its P/B ratio of 0.63. The P/B is a method of comparing a stock's market value to its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This stock's P/B looks solid versus its industry's average P/B of 1.26. Within the past 52 weeks, HMC's P/B has been as high as 0.66 and as low as 0.44, with a median of 0.55.

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. HMC has a P/S ratio of 0.38. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.4.

Finally, investors should note that HMC has a P/CF ratio of 5.08. 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. HMC's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 7.30. Within the past 12 months, HMC's P/CF has been as high as 5.31 and as low as 3.12, with a median of 4.11.

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

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