Should Value Investors Buy BP (BP) Stock?

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.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 rely on traditional forms of analysis on key valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are undervalued, leaving room for profits.On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today.One stock to keep an eye on is BP (BP). BP is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), as well as an A grade for Value. We should also highlight that BP has a P/B ratio of 1.13. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against 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 2.10. Over the past year, BP's P/B has been as high as 1.22 and as low as 0.90, with a median of 1.07.Value investors also frequently use the P/S ratio. This metric is found by dividing a stock's price with the company's revenue. This is a preferred metric because revenue can't really be manipulated, so sales are often a truer performance indicator. BP has a P/S ratio of 0.61. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.01.Finally, investors will want to recognize that BP has a P/CF ratio of 5.13. 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. BP's current P/CF looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 8.84. BP's P/CF has been as high as 5.93 and as low as 3.57, with a median of 4.92, all within the past year.These are only a few of the key metrics included in BP'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, BP looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 DaysJust released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.9% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them now >>This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks