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Are Investors Undervaluing Progress Software (PRGS) Right Now?

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While the proven Zacks Rank places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find strong stocks, we also know that investors tend to develop their own individual strategies. With this in mind, we are always looking at value, growth, and momentum trends to discover great companies.

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 a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks.

Zacks has developed the innovative Style Scores system to highlight stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will be interested in stocks with great grades in the "Value" category. When paired with a high Zacks Rank, "A" grades in the Value category are among the strongest value stocks on the market today.

Progress Software (PRGS - Free Report) is a stock many investors are watching right now. PRGS is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), as well as an A grade for Value.

Investors should also recognize that PRGS has a P/B ratio of 4. 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. PRGS's current P/B looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/B of 6.24. Within the past 52 weeks, PRGS's P/B has been as high as 7.05 and as low as 3.95, with a median of 5.89.

Value investors also love the P/S ratio, which is calculated by simply dividing a stock's price with the company's sales. This is a preferred metric because revenue can't really be manipulated, so sales are often a truer performance indicator. PRGS has a P/S ratio of 1.81. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 3.56.

Finally, investors should note that PRGS has a P/CF ratio of 9.86. 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. PRGS's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 16.57. PRGS's P/CF has been as high as 18.02 and as low as 9.74, with a median of 14.83, all within the past year.

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

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