Are Investors Undervaluing These Basic Materials Stocks Right Now?

Here at Zacks, we focus on our proven ranking system, which places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, to find winning stocks. But we also understand that investors develop their own strategies, so we are constantly looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong companies for our readers.

Of these, value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks.

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 Nexa Resources (NEXA). NEXA is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and an A for Value. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 4.58, which compares to its industry's average of 9.31. Over the last 12 months, NEXA's Forward P/E has been as high as 10.94 and as low as 3.66, with a median of 5.08.

Another notable valuation metric for NEXA is its P/B ratio of 0.68. The P/B is a method of comparing a stock's market value to its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This company's current P/B looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/B of 1.28. Over the past 12 months, NEXA's P/B has been as high as 1 and as low as 0.51, with a median of 0.68.

Investors could also keep in mind Teck Resources (TECK), an Mining – Miscellaneous stock with a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy) and Value grade of A.

Teck Resources is trading at a forward earnings multiple of 6.33 at the moment, with a PEG ratio of 0.16. This compares to its industry's average P/E of 9.31 and average PEG ratio of 1.

Over the last 12 months, TECK's P/E has been as high as 12.27, as low as 6.23, with a median of 8.44, and its PEG ratio has been as high as 0.61, as low as 0.16, with a median of 0.25.

Furthermore, Teck Resources holds a P/B ratio of 1.08 and its industry's price-to-book ratio is 1.28. TECK's P/B has been as high as 1.17, as low as 0.61, with a median of 0.78 over the past 12 months.

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

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 Nexa Resources S.A. (NEXA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Teck Resources Ltd (TECK) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research

Matt Earle

Matthew Earle is the Founder of MiningFeeds. In 2005, Matt founded MiningNerds.com to provide data and information to the mining investment community. This site was merged with Highgrade Review to form MiningFeeds. Matt has a B.Sc. degree with a minor in geology from the University of Toronto.

By Matt Earle

Matthew Earle is the Founder of MiningFeeds. In 2005, Matt founded MiningNerds.com to provide data and information to the mining investment community. This site was merged with Highgrade Review to form MiningFeeds. Matt has a B.Sc. degree with a minor in geology from the University of Toronto.

Comments are closed.