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Should Value Investors Buy Banco Macro (BMA) Stock?

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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 use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

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.

One company to watch right now is Banco Macro (BMA - Free Report) . BMA is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy) and an A for Value. The stock holds a P/E ratio of 7.18, while its industry has an average P/E of 9.98. Over the past 52 weeks, BMA's Forward P/E has been as high as 10.86 and as low as 3.37, with a median of 6.72.

Investors should also note that BMA holds a PEG ratio of 0.52. This figure is similar to the commonly-used P/E ratio, with the PEG ratio also factoring in a company's expected earnings growth rate. BMA's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 1.10. BMA's PEG has been as high as 1.93 and as low as 0.25, with a median of 0.49, all within the past year.

Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is is calculated as price divided by sales. This is a popular metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement, so they are often considered a better performance indicator. BMA has a P/S ratio of 1.46. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.81.

Finally, investors should note that BMA has a P/CF ratio of 5.69. This metric focuses on a firm's operating cash flow and is often used to find stocks that are undervalued based on the strength of their cash outlook. This company's current P/CF looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 13.23. Within the past 12 months, BMA's P/CF has been as high as 13.45 and as low as 3.50, with a median of 6.70.

These figures are just a handful of the metrics value investors tend to look at, but they help show that Banco Macro is likely being undervalued right now. Considering this, as well as the strength of its earnings outlook, BMA feels like a great value stock at the moment.


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