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Are Investors Undervaluing Peabody Energy (BTU) Right Now?

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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.

Of these, perhaps no stock market trend is more popular than value investing, which is a strategy that has proven to be successful in all sorts of market environments. Value investors use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

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.

One company value investors might notice is Peabody Energy (BTU - Free Report) . BTU is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), as well as an A grade for Value.

Another notable valuation metric for BTU is its P/B ratio of 0.84. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This stock's P/B looks attractive against its industry's average P/B of 1.51. Within the past 52 weeks, BTU's P/B has been as high as 0.99 and as low as 0.70, with a median of 0.86.

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 popular metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement, so they are often considered a better performance indicator. BTU has a P/S ratio of 0.72. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.91.

Finally, our model also underscores that BTU has a P/CF ratio of 3.96. This metric takes into account a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find stocks that are undervalued based on their solid cash outlook. BTU's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 5.53. Over the past year, BTU's P/CF has been as high as 4.34 and as low as 2.13, with a median of 3.51.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Peabody Energy'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, BTU looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.


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