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SMMF vs. NBHC: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

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Investors looking for stocks in the Banks - Southeast sector might want to consider either Summit Financial (SMMF - Free Report) or National Bank Holdings (NBHC - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.

The best way to find great value stocks is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The proven Zacks Rank emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Currently, both Summit Financial and National Bank Holdings are holding a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy). This means that both companies have witnessed positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that both of these stocks have an improving earnings outlook. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

Value investors are also interested in a number of tried-and-true valuation metrics that help show when a company is undervalued at its current share price levels.

Our Value category highlights undervalued companies by looking at a variety of key metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, as well as the P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that have been used by value investors for years.

SMMF currently has a forward P/E ratio of 11.48, while NBHC has a forward P/E of 15.18. We also note that SMMF has a PEG ratio of 1.43. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. NBHC currently has a PEG ratio of 1.52.

Another notable valuation metric for SMMF is its P/B ratio of 1.40. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, NBHC has a P/B of 1.59.

Based on these metrics and many more, SMMF holds a Value grade of B, while NBHC has a Value grade of D.

Both SMMF and NBHC are impressive stocks with solid earnings outlooks, but based on these valuation figures, we feel that SMMF is the superior value option right now.


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National Bank Holdings Corporation (NBHC) - free report >>

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