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Should Value Investors Buy Core-Mark (CORE) Stock?

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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.

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 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 value investors might notice is Core-Mark . CORE is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 14.75, which compares to its industry's average of 17.44. Over the last 12 months, CORE's Forward P/E has been as high as 24.64 and as low as 12.35, with a median of 17.61.

Investors should also note that CORE holds a PEG ratio of 1.55. This popular figure is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also considers a company's expected EPS growth rate. CORE's industry currently sports an average PEG of 1.67. Over the last 12 months, CORE's PEG has been as high as 3.08 and as low as 1.55, with a median of 2.03.

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

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