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Should Value Investors Buy Preferred Apartment Communities (APTS) Stock?

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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.

One company value investors might notice is Preferred Apartment Communities . APTS is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and an A for Value. The stock holds a P/E ratio of 9.41, while its industry has an average P/E of 21.60. Over the last 12 months, APTS's Forward P/E has been as high as 11.19 and as low as 8.18, with a median of 9.90.

APTS is also sporting a PEG ratio of 1.34. 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. APTS's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 3.37. Over the last 12 months, APTS's PEG has been as high as 1.60 and as low as 1.17, with a median of 1.41.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Preferred Apartment Communities's strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, APTS looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.

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