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Should Value Investors Buy US Foods (USFD) 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.

Considering these trends, value investing is clearly one of the most preferred ways to find strong stocks in any type of market. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks.

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.

US Foods (USFD - Free Report) is a stock many investors are watching right now. USFD is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A.

We also note that USFD holds a PEG ratio of 0.86. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. USFD's industry has an average PEG of 1.33 right now. Over the past 52 weeks, USFD's PEG has been as high as 0.93 and as low as 0.64, with a median of 0.79.

Value investors also frequently use the P/S ratio. This metric is found by dividing a stock's price with the company's revenue. Some people prefer this metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement. This means it could be a truer performance indicator. USFD has a P/S ratio of 0.42. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.88.

Finally, investors will want to recognize that USFD has a P/CF ratio of 15.99. 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. USFD's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 16.82. Over the past 52 weeks, USFD's P/CF has been as high as 17.33 and as low as 12.14, with a median of 14.34.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in US Foods'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, USFD looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.


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