Is Cigna (CI) Stock Undervalued Right Now?

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 rely on traditional forms of analysis on key valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are undervalued, leaving room for profits.

Zacks has developed the innovative Style Scores system to highlight stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will be interested in stocks with great grades in the "Value" category. When paired with a high Zacks Rank, "A" grades in the Value category are among the strongest value stocks on the market today.

One stock to keep an eye on is Cigna (CI). CI is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A.

Investors should also note that CI holds a PEG ratio of 1.04. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. CI's industry has an average PEG of 1.11 right now. Within the past year, CI's PEG has been as high as 1.07 and as low as 0.78, with a median of 0.96.

We should also highlight that CI has a P/B ratio of 1.91. 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. CI's current P/B looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/B of 2.04. Over the past 12 months, CI's P/B has been as high as 1.95 and as low as 1.34, with a median of 1.70.

Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is is calculated as price divided by sales. This is a popular metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement, so they are often considered a better performance indicator. CI has a P/S ratio of 0.5. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.75.

Another great Insurance - Multi line stock you could consider is Ping An Insurance Co. of China (PNGAY), which is a # 2 (Buy) stock with a Value Score of A.

Ping An Insurance Co. of China sports a P/B ratio of 0.53 as well; this compares to its industry's price-to-book ratio of 2.04. In the past 52 weeks, PNGAY's P/B has been as high as 0.95, as low as 0.53, with a median of 0.77.

These are just a handful of the figures considered in Cigna and Ping An Insurance Co. of China's great Value grade. Still, they help show that the stock is likely being undervalued at the moment. Add this to the strength of its earnings outlook, and we can clearly see that CI and PNGAY is an impressive value stock right now.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
Cigna Corporation (CI) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Ping An Insurance Co. of China Ltd. (PNGAY) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research