4 Ways To Tell If A Stock Is Undervalued | Bankrate (2024)

Everyone loves a good deal. Whether you’re buying your weekly groceries or haggling over the price of a new car, there’s nothing like getting a bargain. Though you may not think of it the same way, investing in the stock market is no different.

While people are typically excited to see their favorite items on sale at the grocery store, they can often be less enthusiastic when they see stock prices fall. But the stock market’s swings create plenty of profitable bargains for those willing to look closely.

Here are four ways to tell if a stock is undervalued.

What does it mean for a stock to be undervalued?

Before you start bargain hunting, you’ll need to understand what it means for a stock to be undervalued in the first place. Stocks represent partial ownership stakes in real businesses that (hopefully) generate earnings and cash flow for their shareholders. A company’s intrinsic value, or what the business is worth, is based on the amount of cash flow the company will generate for shareholders over its life, discounted back to the present at an appropriate interest rate.

For a stock to be undervalued, it should be trading below a conservative calculation of its intrinsic value. Oftentimes, market commentators segment the investment universe into two categories: growth and value. But companies that are growing can still be undervalued and companies that appear to be undervalued can actually be in decline.

The following tips and clues can help determine whether a stock is undervalued.

1. Low valuation ratios

One of the quickest ways to gauge whether a stock is undervalued is to compare its valuation ratios to the rest of its industry or the overall market. If the ratios are below that of the industry average or a broad market index such as the S&P 500, you may have a bargain on your hands.

It should be noted that no financial ratio is perfect and investors should always seek to understand the “why” behind a disconnect between the way one company is being valued compared to others.

Here are some of the most common valuation ratios to follow.

P/E ratio

The price-to-earnings (P/E/) ratio is one of the most popular ratios used in investment analysis. It compares the price of a company’s stock to its earnings per share and helps to measure how much investors are getting in earnings power relative to the price they’re paying for the stock. In general, it’s better to pay a low multiple of earnings than a high one, but there are exceptions.

The P/E ratio can be thought of as a way for the market to price a company’s future prospects. Businesses expected to grow their earnings at a high rate typically trade at higher P/E ratios than businesses with low growth prospects. The ratio also depends on the market’s confidence in that future growth, so well-positioned businesses may trade for higher multiples than businesses with a lot of variability in their future outcomes.

As with any ratio, it’s important to understand the limits of the P/E ratio. It doesn’t work well for companies that report losses or have extremely low earnings figures. In recent years, Amazon’s stock has performed extremely well despite having a very high P/E ratio. The company’s low reported earnings pushed the ratio up as management reinvested to fuel future growth.

Some investors incorporate growth projections by using the price-to-earnings growth ratio, or PEG. A PEG ratio above 2 is usually considered expensive, while a ratio below 1 may indicate a good deal. Keep in mind that if your projections about future growth are off, the ratio won’t have much value to you and may signal the wrong investment decision.

EV/EBIT

The enterprise value (EV) to EBIT is very similar to the P/E ratio, but it uses more than just price and earnings-per-share in its calculation. EV accounts for debt that the company may use for financing and EBIT refers to earnings before interest and taxes.

EV can be calculated by adding a company’s interest-bearing debt, net of cash, to its market capitalization. By using EBIT for the earnings figure, you can more easily compare the actual operating earnings of a business with other companies that may have different tax rates or debt levels.

Price-to-sales

The price-to-sales (P/S) ratio is fairly simple and is calculated by dividing a company’s market capitalization by its revenue over the previous 12 months. This ratio can be useful for companies that have low or negative earnings due to one-time factors or are in their early stages and investing heavily in the business. Remember that generating sales is not the ultimate goal for an investor, but rather profits, so be careful not to rely on this ratio exclusively.

The software industry is an area where the P/S ratio may be useful in valuation analysis. Software companies can be extremely profitable, but often invest capital heavily during the early stages of their business, causing them to report negative earnings, or losses. By using the P/S ratio, you can get a sense for the valuation despite the companies’ reporting losses. Be sure you understand how they plan to make money eventually, however.

2. Company insiders are buying

Another less quantitative way of determining if a stock may be undervalued is to see if company insiders are buying the shares. Company executives typically know the business better than anyone, so it’s worth paying attention when they buy the stock. These insider transactions are reported in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and can be found through the agency’s website.

But be sure to read the filings carefully. Executives are often awarded shares as part of their compensation, which is very different from an executive who uses their own money to purchase shares in the open market. When an executive spends their own cash to buy shares, you can be fairly certain it’s because they think it’s a good investment.

Early in 2022, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings purchased about $20 million worth of stock after the company issued a disappointing outlook that caused the stock price to plummet. Time will tell if the investment is successful.

3. The stock price has meaningfully declined

If you’re not sure where to start looking for stocks that might be undervalued, stocks that have already fallen significantly from recent highs – 20 percent or more – isn’t a bad place to start. By narrowing your search to stocks that are meaningfully below their highs, you’re increasing your chances of finding a bargain. It’s like shopping in the clearance section of your favorite store – there might be some duds and items that are on sale for a reason, but you can find some real gems as well.

Several websites publish lists of stocks reaching new 52-week lows. From there, you can sift through the companies and see how they’ve been performing, what their valuation ratios look like and whether insiders have been picking up shares.

4. Successful investors are buying

Another hint that a stock might be undervalued is if successful investors are gobbling up the shares. Copying off the smartest kids in class gets you in trouble in school, but it’s completely acceptable in the world of investing.

Each quarter, professional investors who manage a certain amount of money are required to disclose their holdings in a filing with the SEC. The filing shows most of the positions held by these investors as of the most recent quarter end. Filings are typically made within 45 days of the end of the quarter, so you’re not getting the data in real-time, but for long-term investors, the holdings don’t change much from quarter to quarter.

Be sure to do your own research before purchasing a stock held by well-known investors, though. If the stock price falls or climbs in between filings, you’ll need to have your own opinion on what to do with the stock.

Check out Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway’s latest portfolio moves here.

Bottom line

Identifying undervalued stocks isn’t easy and ultimately involves making more accurate predictions of the future than the market. Many people have tried and failed at picking individual stocks that will outperform the market. Another approach is to that will give you access to a diversified portfolio of the top U.S. stocks at a low cost. Most professional investors fail to beat this benchmark over the long term.

But if you do decide to go bargain hunting, focus on a company’s valuation ratios, what company insiders are doing and whether smart investors are picking up the shares. It’s a good idea to check the 52-week low list if you’re looking for a place to get started. Always remember that your success as an investor will depend on the future success of the companies you’re investing in.

Learn more:

  • How to tell if a stock is overvalued
  • How to buy stocks online
  • Warren Buffett’s top tips for beating inflation

Editorial Disclaimer: All investors are advised to conduct their own independent research into investment strategies before making an investment decision. In addition, investors are advised that past investment product performance is no guarantee of future price appreciation.

4 Ways To Tell If A Stock Is Undervalued | Bankrate (2024)

FAQs

How do you determine if a stock is undervalued? ›

To calculate it, divide the market price per share by the book value per share. A stock could be undervalued if the P/B ratio is lower than 1. P/B ratio example: ABC's shares are selling for $50 a share, and its book value is $70, which means the P/B ratio is 0.71 ($50/$70).

What is the best way to identify undervalued stocks? ›

Look at the company's price-to-earnings ratio and market cap. One way to find undervalued stocks is by looking at a stock's price-to-earnings ratio, also known as PE ratio. The PE ratio is calculated by dividing the company's stock price by its earnings per share.

How do you tell if a stock is undervalued or overvalued? ›

The sales per share metric is calculated by dividing a company's 12-month sales by the number of outstanding shares. A low P/S ratio in comparison to peers could suggest some undervaluation. A high P/S ratio would suggest overvaluation.

How do you find the undervalued stock in 3 simple steps? ›

How to Find Undervalued Stocks in India?
  1. Price to Earnings Ratio. PE Ratio is one of the metrics to identify undervalued stocks in India in 2021. ...
  2. Impact of News. ...
  3. PEG Ratio. ...
  4. Change In Fundamentals. ...
  5. Free Cash Flow. ...
  6. The Disruptiveness Of the Business Model. ...
  7. Price to Book Ratio. ...
  8. Key Takeaways.
Dec 17, 2021

What are the characteristics of undervalued stocks? ›

An undervalued stock is defined as a stock that is selling at a price significantly below what is assumed to be its intrinsic value. For example, if a stock is selling for $50, but it is worth $100 based on predictable future cash flows, then it is an undervalued stock.

What causes a stock to be undervalued? ›

Undervalued stocks or securities are equity shares that have a market value lower than their intrinsic value. The undervalue could be due to a host of reasons ranging from sector-specific, socio-economic or overall market slowdown.

What is a good PE ratio? ›

To give you some sense of what average for the market is, though, many value investors would refer to 20 to 25 as the average P/E ratio range. And again, like golf, the lower the P/E ratio a company has, the better an investment the metric is saying it is.

What is considered undervalued? ›

Undervalued is a financial term referring to a security or other type of investment that is selling in the market for a price presumed to be below the investment's true intrinsic value. The intrinsic value of a company is the present value of the free cash flows expected to be made by the company.

How do you find undervalued stocks in ticker tape? ›

If the P/E ratio is less than 15, then analysts usually consider the stock undervalued. A lower P/E ratio indicates that investors are willing to accept a lower return from the stock in exchange for holding on to it.

What PE ratio is undervalued? ›

Although earnings growth rates can vary among different sectors, a stock with a PEG of less than 1 is typically considered undervalued because its price is considered low compared to the company's expected earnings growth.

Does a high PE ratio mean a stock is overvalued? ›

In short, the P/E shows what the market is willing to pay today for a stock based on its past or future earnings. A high P/E ratio could mean that a stock's price is high relative to earnings and possibly overvalued. Conversely, a low P/E ratio might indicate that the current stock price is low relative to earnings.

What is the difference between overvalued and undervalued? ›

An undervalued stock is just the opposite of an overvalued one. These are stocks which trade at the price lower than its fair market value. The reasons for a stock's undervalue are: Decline in its demand due to lack of investors' confidence.

What are the 5 methods of stock valuation? ›

In this article, we'll take you through the five ways to value your inventory:
  • The retail inventory method.
  • The specific identification method.
  • The First In, First Out (FIFO) method.
  • The Last In, First Out (LIFO) method.
  • The weighted average method.
Apr 7, 2020

What are the 3 methods of stock valuation? ›

What are the different inventory valuation methods? There are three methods for inventory valuation: FIFO (First In, First Out), LIFO (Last In, First Out), and WAC (Weighted Average Cost). In FIFO, you assume that the first items purchased are the first to leave the warehouse.

What are the three 3 major factors that determine the market value of shares? ›

In summary, the key fundamental factors are as follows: The level of the earnings base (represented by measures such as EPS, cash flow per share, dividends per share) The expected growth in the earnings base. The discount rate, which is itself a function of inflation.

What are the 4 characteristics of a good stock? ›

5 Characteristics of Good Growth Stocks
  • A Strong Leadership Team.
  • A Promising Growth Industry.
  • Commanding Market Share.
  • Strong Sales Growth.
  • A Large Target Market.

What are the four qualities of stock that will be evaluated? ›

Investing has a set of four basic elements that investors use to break down a stock's value. In this article, we will look at four commonly used financial ratios—price-to-book (P/B) ratio, price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, price-to-earnings growth (PEG) ratio, and dividend yield—and what they can tell you about a stock.

What are the 4 characteristics of stocks? ›

The 4 Characteristics of a Good Stock
  • Start with COLD water.
  • Always leave the stock UNCOVERED.
  • Keep the stock at a SLOOOW simmer.
  • Never stir a stock.
  • Skim the stock regularly after the initial boil.
Jan 16, 2010

What are the most undervalued stocks? ›

33 Undervalued Stocks for Q1 2023
  • Alliant Energy LNT.
  • Alphabet GOOGL.
  • ASML Holding ASML.
  • Berkshire Hathaway BRK.A.
  • Blackstone BX.
  • Boston Beer SAM.
  • Carnival CCL.
  • Celanese CE.
Jan 6, 2023

What is the most undervalued stock market? ›

Most Undervalued Value Stocks To Buy According To Hedge Funds
  • EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG)
  • Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ)
  • ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP)
  • Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX)
  • Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC)
  • The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS)
  • Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM)
  • Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE)
Jan 30, 2023

What shares are currently undervalued? ›

Undervalued stocks
S.No.NameCMP Rs.
1.Forbes & Co620.45
2.Baroda Rayon271.95
3.EKI Energy568.80
4.Jindal Photo337.95
23 more rows

What is Coca Cola PE ratio? ›

The PE ratio is a simple way to assess whether a stock is over or under valued and is the most widely used valuation measure. CocaCola PE ratio as of February 10, 2023 is 24.04.

What to check before buying stocks? ›

10 Key Factors to Check Before Buying a Stock
  1. Time Horizon:
  2. Investment Strategy:
  3. Check Fundamentals before buying a stock:
  4. Stock Performance compared to its peers:
  5. Shareholder Pattern:
  6. Mutual Funds Holding:
  7. Size of the Company:
  8. Dividend History:
Nov 14, 2022

What is Apple's current PE ratio? ›

According to Apple's latest financial reports and stock price the company's current price-to-earnings ratio (TTM) is 25.4639. At the end of 2021 the company had a P/E ratio of 29.2.

What makes a stock overvalued? ›

An overvalued stock has a current price that is not justified by its earnings outlook, typically assessed by its P/E ratio. A company is considered overvalued if it trades at a rate that is unjustifiably and significantly in excess of its peers.

Which is better screener in or ticker tape? ›

As far as features are concerned, it is evident that Ticker Tape offers more compared to screener.in. But it is indicated that screener.in provides more reliable data. The fees structure of Ticker tape is flexible and user friendly. Thus, more stars for this one to ticker tape.

What sectors are undervalued 2022? ›

By sector, communication services and consumer cyclicals are the two most undervalued, trading 43% and 25% below our fair values, respectively. Defensive stocks in the utilities, healthcare, and consumer defensive sectors, meanwhile, are about fairly valued.

How do you find 52 week low stocks in ticker tape? ›

Below are the steps to find stocks near 52-week lows on Tickertape:
  1. Browse Tickertape website.
  2. Click on the downward arrow next to the Tickertape logo on the top left. Choose 'Stock Screener' from the drop-down menu.
  3. On the Screener, click on 'All Screens'. Then, under 'Basic', select 'Near 52W Lows'.
Mar 7, 2022

Is 30 a good PE ratio? ›

A P/E of 30 is high by historical stock market standards. This type of valuation is usually placed on only the fastest-growing companies by investors in the company's early stages of growth.

Is 8 a good PE ratio? ›

Although eight is a lower P/E, and thus technically a more attractive valuation, it's also likely that this company is facing financial difficulties leading to the lower EPS and the low $2 stock price. Conversely, a high P/E ratio could mean a company's stock price is overvalued.

At what PE ratio is a stock overvalued? ›

Investors and analysts consider stocks which have a P/E ratio of 50 or above to be an overvalued share, especially in comparison to a stock which has a ratio at par with or below 10. As it allows investors to determine that its share prices are considerably higher than what a company can afford to pay as dividends.

What is Amazon's PE ratio? ›

The PE ratio is a simple way to assess whether a stock is over or under valued and is the most widely used valuation measure. Amazon PE ratio as of February 14, 2023 is 137.87.

What is too high of a PE ratio? ›

The market average P/E ratio currently ranges from 20-25, so a higher PE above that could be considered bad, while a lower PE ratio could be considered better.

Why is Amazon PE ratio so high? ›

12 On the same day, Amazon's stock price was $1,591.91 with a P/E ratio of 89.19. 34 One of the reasons Amazon's P/E is so much higher than Apple's is that its efforts to expand aggressively on a wide scale have helped keep earnings somewhat suppressed and the P/E ratio high.

What are the most overvalued stocks right now? ›

As of Jan. 9, 2023, 15%, or 130, of the 847 U.S.-listed stocks covered by Morningstar analysts are considered overvalued, having a Morningstar Rating of either 1 or 2 stars.
...
5 Most Overvalued Stocks Right Now
  • TAL Education Group TAL.
  • Hess HES.
  • Dick's Sporting Goods DKS.
  • Old Dominion Freight Line ODFL.
  • Cintas CTAS.
Jan 11, 2023

Is Apple stock Overvalued? ›

As of Feb. 6, 2023, we think Microsoft's stock is about 17% undervalued, while Apple's stock is 1% overvalued. The winner from a price perspective is Microsoft stock, which is trading at a more attractive price today.

Is it good to buy an undervalued stock? ›

An undervalued company stock is one that is consistently profitable and has attractive long-term growth prospects but whose share price is cheap compared to many of its peers. Such stocks can be great options for patient buy-and-hold investors willing to wait for hidden bargains.

What are 4 stock control methods? ›

What are the methods of stock control?
  • Just-in-time (JIT)
  • FIFO.
  • Economic Order Quantity.
  • Vendor-managed inventory.
  • Batch control.
Oct 17, 2017

What are the 4 stages of stock market? ›

There are four phases of the stock cycle: accumulation; markup; distribution; and markdown. The stock cycle is based on perceived cash flows into and out of securities by large financial institutions.

What are the 6 methods of valuation? ›

Methods for determining Customs value
  • Method one – transaction value. ...
  • Method two – transaction value of identical goods (“identical goods method”) ...
  • Method three – transaction value of similar goods (“similar goods method”) ...
  • Method four – deductive value. ...
  • Method five – computed value. ...
  • Method six – residual basis of valuation.
Jul 24, 2019

What is the most accurate stock valuation method? ›

A technique that is typically used for absolute stock valuation, the dividend discount model or DDM is one of the best ways to value a stock. This model follows the assumption that a company's dividends characterise its cash flow to the shareholders.

What are the 5 important aspects of valuation? ›

5 Basic Principles of Valuation
  • Future Profitability. Future profitability is the only thing that determines the current value. ...
  • Cash Flow. ...
  • Potential Risk. ...
  • Objectivity vs Subjectivity. ...
  • Motivation and Determination.
May 28, 2019

What are the 4 determinants of value? ›

The current and future importance consumers place on the four factors of value (Desire, Utility, Scarcity, and Effective Purchasing Power) represents Demand and Supply of the product or service.

What are the 3 market indicators? ›

The DJIA, the S&P 500, and the NASDAQ indexes all are indicators of the current state of the stock markets.

What are the 3 key factors to consider in investment? ›

There are three key factors that determine which investment strategy is right for you.
  • Risk tolerance.
  • Expected returns.
  • Effort required to implement the strategy.

What is good PE ratio? ›

As far as Nifty is concerned, it has traded in a PE range of 10 to 30 historically. Average PE of Nifty in the last 20 years was around 20.* So PEs below 20 may provide good investment opportunities; lower the PE below 20, more attractive the investment potential.

Which stocks are currently undervalued? ›

Undervalued stocks
S.No.NameCMP Rs.
1.Forbes & Co620.45
2.Baroda Rayon271.95
3.EKI Energy568.80
4.Jindal Photo337.95
23 more rows

What is the meaning of stock is undervalued by 10 %? ›

For example if stock is of 10000, then 10% will be 1000. There 1000 will be Cr in revaluation a/c. Undervalued means the cost taken is less than the actual cost....

What is Tesla's PE ratio? ›

P/E ratio as of February 2023 (TTM): 53.2

According to Tesla's latest financial reports and stock price the company's current price-to-earnings ratio (TTM) is 53.2494. At the end of 2021 the company had a P/E ratio of 190.

What are the top 10 undervalued stocks? ›

Most Undervalued Value Stocks To Buy According To Hedge Funds
  • EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG)
  • Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ)
  • ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP)
  • Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX)
  • Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC)
  • The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS)
  • Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM)
  • Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE)
Jan 30, 2023

What stocks lost the most in 2022? ›

The two stocks were the biggest losers of market cap in 2022. Apple shed $846.34 billion in value and Amazon lost $834.06 billion. Market cap measures the combined value of all of a company's stock.

What is the rule of 10 in stocks? ›

The 90/10 rule in investing is a comment made by Warren Buffett regarding asset allocation. The rule stipulates investing 90% of one's investment capital towards low-cost stock-based index funds and the remainder 10% to short-term government bonds.

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