Is Columbia Banking System (COLB) Stock Undervalued Right Now?

Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks.Considering these trends, value investing is clearly one of the most preferred ways to find strong stocks in any type of market. Value investors rely on traditional forms of analysis on key valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are undervalued, leaving room for profits.In addition to the Zacks Rank, investors looking for stocks with specific traits can utilize our Style Scores system. Of course, value investors will be most interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with "A" grades for Value and high Zacks Ranks are among the best value stocks available at any given moment.Columbia Banking System (COLB) is a stock many investors are watching right now. COLB is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. The stock holds a P/E ratio of 8.7, while its industry has an average P/E of 10.82. Over the past year, COLB's Forward P/E has been as high as 11.81 and as low as 7.59, with a median of 9.10. Another notable valuation metric for COLB is its P/B ratio of 1.04. 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. This stock's P/B looks solid versus its industry's average P/B of 1.34. Over the past year, COLB's P/B has been as high as 1.27 and as low as 0.83, with a median of 1.03.Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is calculated as price divided by sales. Some people prefer this metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement. This means it could be a truer performance indicator. COLB has a P/S ratio of 1.87. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 2.32.Finally, investors should note that COLB has a P/CF ratio of 9.39. 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. COLB's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 10.97. Over the past 52 weeks, COLB's P/CF has been as high as 11.97 and as low as 7.68, with a median of 9.27.If you're looking for another solid Banks - West value stock, take a look at Zions Bancorporation (ZION). ZION is a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) stock with a Value score of A.Shares of Zions Bancorporation are currently trading at a forward earnings multiple of 10.10 and a PEG ratio of 1.52 compared to its industry's P/E and PEG ratios of 10.82 and 1.23, respectively.ZION's Forward P/E has been as high as 12.64 and as low as 7.65, with a median of 9.98. During the same time period, its PEG ratio has been as high as 5.42, as low as 1.25, with a median of 1.62.Zions Bancorporation sports a P/B ratio of 1.33 as well; this compares to its industry's price-to-book ratio of 1.34. In the past 52 weeks, ZION's P/B has been as high as 1.53, as low as 0.98, with a median of 1.25.These are only a few of the key metrics included in Columbia Banking System and Zions Bancorporation strong Value grade, but they help show that the stocks are likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, COLB and ZION look like an impressive value stock at the moment.Zacks Names #1 Semiconductor StockThis under-the-radar company specializes in semiconductor products that titans like NVIDIA don't build. It's uniquely positioned to take advantage of the next growth stage of this market. And it's just beginning to enter the spotlight, which is exactly where you want to be.With strong earnings growth and an expanding customer base, it's positioned to feed the rampant demand for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things. Global semiconductor manufacturing is projected to explode from $452 billion in 2021 to $971 billion by 2028.See This Stock Now for Free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Columbia Banking System, Inc. (COLB): Free Stock Analysis Report Zions Bancorporation, N.A. (ZION): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks