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, 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.

In addition to the Zacks Rank, investors looking for stocks with specific traits can utilize our Style Scores system. Of course, value investors will be most interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with "A" grades for Value and high Zacks Ranks are among the best value stocks available at any given moment.

One company to watch right now is VALE S.A. (VALE). VALE is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), as well as an A grade for Value. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 3.37, which compares to its industry's average of 3.41. Over the last 12 months, VALE's Forward P/E has been as high as 6.83 and as low as 3.37, with a median of 4.90.

Investors should also recognize that VALE has a P/B ratio of 2.19. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against 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 2.21. Over the past year, VALE's P/B has been as high as 3.30 and as low as 1.60, with a median of 2.57.

Finally, investors should note that VALE has a P/CF ratio of 7.86. This data point considers a firm's operating cash flow and is frequently used to find companies that are undervalued when considering their solid cash outlook. VALE's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 7.92. VALE's P/CF has been as high as 14.18 and as low as 6.25, with a median of 10.53, all within the past year.

These are just a handful of the figures considered in VALE S.A.'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 VALE is an impressive value stock right now.

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