Is Axa (AXAHY) 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.

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.

Luckily, Zacks has developed its own Style Scores system in an effort to find stocks with specific traits. Value investors will be interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with both "A" grades in the Value category and high Zacks Ranks are among the strongest value stocks on the market right now.

One company value investors might notice is Axa (AXAHY). AXAHY is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 6.52. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 8.44. AXAHY's Forward P/E has been as high as 9.49 and as low as 6.52, with a median of 8.07, all within the past year.

We also note that AXAHY holds a PEG ratio of 0.84. This figure is similar to the commonly-used P/E ratio, with the PEG ratio also factoring in a company's expected earnings growth rate. AXAHY's industry currently sports an average PEG of 1.08. AXAHY's PEG has been as high as 1.30 and as low as 0.36, with a median of 0.93, all within the past year.

Investors could also keep in mind CNO Financial Group (CNO), an Insurance - Multi line stock with a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy) and Value grade of A.

CNO Financial Group also has a P/B ratio of 0.93 compared to its industry's price-to-book ratio of 2.11. Over the past year, its P/B ratio has been as high as 1.05, as low as 0.52, with a median of 0.61.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Axa and CNO Financial Group strong Value grade, but they help show that the stocks are likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, AXAHY and CNO look like an impressive value stock at the moment.

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