Should Value Investors Buy The Hartford (HIG) Stock?
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, value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. Value investors use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.
On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today.
One stock to keep an eye on is The Hartford (HIG). HIG is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A.
Another notable valuation metric for HIG is its P/B ratio of 1.44. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This stock's P/B looks solid versus its industry's average P/B of 1.48. Over the past year, HIG's P/B has been as high as 1.53 and as low as 1.15, with a median of 1.37.
Value investors also frequently use the P/S ratio. This metric is found by dividing a stock's price with the company's revenue. This is a popular metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement, so they are often considered a better performance indicator. HIG has a P/S ratio of 1.03. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.05.
These are only a few of the key metrics included in The Hartford's strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, HIG looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.
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The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (HIG) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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