Should Value Investors Pick BankUnited (BKU) Stock Now?

Value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. After all, who wouldn’t want to find stocks that are either flying under the radar and are compelling buys, or offer up tantalizing discounts when compared to fair value?

One way to find these companies is by looking at several key metrics and financial ratios, many of which are crucial in the value stock selection process. Let’s put, BankUnited, Inc. BKU stock into this equation and find out if it is a good choice for value-oriented investors right now, or if investors subscribing to this methodology should look elsewhere for top picks:

PE Ratio

A key metric that value investors always look at is the Price to Earnings Ratio, or PE for short. This shows us how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings in a given stock, and is easily one of the most popular financial ratios in the world. The best use of the PE ratio is to compare the stock’s current PE ratio with: a) where this ratio has been in the past; b) how it compares to the average for the industry/sector; and c) how it compares to the market as a whole.

On this front, BankUnited has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 11.24, as you can see in the chart below:

 

This level actually compares pretty favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 compares in at about 18.48. If we focus on the stock’s long-term PE trend, the current level puts BankUnited’s current PE ratio somewhat below its midpoint (which is 15.26) over the past five years.

Further, the stock’s PE compares favorably with the Zacks Finance sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 14.59. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.

We should also point out that BankUnited has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of 11.53, so it is fair to expect an increase in the stock’s value in the near future.

P/S Ratio

Another key metric to note is the Price/Sales ratio. This approach compares a given stock’s price to its total sales, where a lower reading is generally considered better. Some people like this metric more than other value-focused ones because it looks at sales, something that is far harder to manipulate with accounting tricks than earnings.

Right now, BankUnited has a P/S ratio of 2.05. This is noticeably lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.26 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is considerably below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.

If anything, this suggests some level of undervalued trading—at least compared to historical norms.

Broad Value Outlook

In aggregate, BankUnited currently has a Value Style Score of B, putting it into the top 40% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes BKU a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other metrics make it clear too.

For example, the PEG ratio for BankUnited is just 1.30, a level that is slightly lower than the industry average of 1.36. The PEG ratio is a modified PE ratio that takes into account the stock’s earnings growth rate. Clearly, BKU is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.

What About the Stock Overall?

Though BankUnited might be a good choice for value investors, there are plenty of other factors to consider before investing in this name. In particular, it is worth noting that the company has a Growth grade of D and a Momentum score of C. This gives BKU a VGM score—or its overarching fundamental grade—of C.(You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>).

Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been disappointing. The current quarter has seen three estimates go lower in the past sixty days compared to one higher, while current year estimate has seen four downward and one upward revision in the same time period.

This has had a noticeable impact on the consensus estimate, as the current quarter consensus estimate has fallen 1.4% in the past two months, while the current year estimate has dipped 1%. in the same time period. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:

BankUnited, Inc. Price and Consensus

BankUnited, Inc. Price and Consensus

BankUnited, Inc. price-consensus-chart | BankUnited, Inc. Quote

Due to this somewhat bearish trend, the stock has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) despite strong value metrics and why we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.

Bottom Line

BankUnited is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. However, with a sluggish industry rank (bottom 26% out of more than 250 industries) and Zacks Rank #3, it is hard to get too excited about this company overall. In fact, over the past one year, the sector has clearly underperformed the broader market, as you can see below:

 

 
So, value investors might want to wait for estimates, analyst sentiment and broader factors to turn favorable in this name first, but once that happens, this stock could be a compelling pick.

7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days

Just released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers “Most Likely for Early Price Pops.”

Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +24.50% per year. So be sure to give these hand-picked 7 your immediate attention.

See them 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
 
BankUnited, Inc. (BKU) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.