Should Value Investors Buy Imperial Tobacco Group (IMBBY) Stock?

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.Looking at the history of these trends, perhaps none is more beloved than value investing. This strategy simply looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader market. Value investors use fundamental analysis and traditional valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are being undervalued by the market at large.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 company value investors might notice is Imperial Tobacco Group (IMBBY). IMBBY is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 8.29. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 13.97. Over the past 52 weeks, IMBBY's Forward P/E has been as high as 8.46 and as low as 5.38, with a median of 6.85.IMBBY is also sporting a PEG ratio of 0.91. 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. IMBBY's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 2.41. IMBBY's PEG has been as high as 1.03 and as low as 0.73, with a median of 0.82, all within the past year.Investors should also recognize that IMBBY has a P/B ratio of 4.01. 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. This company's current P/B looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/B of 6.51. Over the past 12 months, IMBBY's P/B has been as high as 4.01 and as low as 2.44, with a median of 3.55.These figures are just a handful of the metrics value investors tend to look at, but they help show that Imperial Tobacco Group is likely being undervalued right now. Considering this, as well as the strength of its earnings outlook, IMBBY feels like a great value stock at the moment.7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 DaysJust 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 +24.3% 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 Imperial Tobacco Group PLC (IMBBY): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks