Based on key financial metrics such as the price-to-sales ratio, shareholder yield and the price-earnings ratio, the following 4 stocks made the list for top value stocks in the Banks industry. Those looking for value stocks to add to their portfolio may want to use this list as a starting point for further investment research.

Why Focus on Undervalued Banks Stocks?

Value investors seek to buy stocks at a discount to their intrinsic value. Long-term returns show that such strategies are advantageous. Value stocks, as a group, tend to outperform growth stocks over extended periods of time. Typically, value investors perform financial analysis of numerous metrics, don’t follow the herd and are long-term investors.

AAII’s A+ Investor Value Grade is derived from a stock’s Value Score. The Value Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of the price-to-sales ratio, price-earnings ratio, enterprise-value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio, shareholder yield, price-to-book-value ratio and price-to-free-cash-flow ratio. The score is variable, meaning it can consider all six ratios or, should any of the six ratios not be valid, the remaining ratios that are valid. To be assigned a Value Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) ratio and corresponding ranking for at least two of the six valuation ratios.

What Goes Into AAII’s Value Grade?

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data as well as the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movement. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors with that task.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A–F grades for more than just value. It is possible for a stock to appear cheap based on one valuation metric but appear expensive on another. It is also possible for one valuation ratio to be associated with outperforming stocks during certain periods of time but not others. Some stocks may even have null values for certain metrics like the price-earnings ratio or the price-to-book ratio but not others. An example of this would be a company with losses instead of profits or a negative book value because of heavy borrowing. Negative earnings or book value result in non-meaningful ratios that are left blank or null.

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4 Undervalued Banks Stocks

Of course, there are countless value stocks that are worth mentioning, but this is a concise list of the top 4 undervalued stocks in the Banks industry for Friday, March 08, 2024. Let’s take a closer look at their individual scores to see how they measure up against each other and the Banks industry median.

The Value Grade is assigned based on how each stock’s composite valuation compares to all other stocks.

The process for assigning grades starts with each variable for a given stock. The percentile rankings for all valid ratios that a stock has are calculated. So, for instance, a stock could have a price-to-book ranking in the 43rd percentile, a price-earnings ranking in the 67th percentile, a price-to-sales ranking in the 23rd percentile, etc. Then, those rankings are averaged for each stock. (A minimum of two valid variables are required, though all six will be used if available.)

Once the average of the individual variables is calculated, that average is ranked against all stocks. Put another way, each stock’s composite valuation is compared to all other stocks. These ranks are then sorted into quintiles from the cheapest 20% (a grade of A) to the most expensive 20% (a grade of F).

As always, we recommend that you conduct proper due diligence and research before investing in any security. We also suggest that investors utilize numerous grades, not just value, when it comes to deciding whether a company is a good fit for their allocation needs.

Amalgamated Bank’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Amalgamated Bank (the Bank) is a full-service commercial bank and a chartered trust company. The Bank offers a suite of commercial and retail banking, investment management, and trust and custody services. The Bank’s commercial banking and trust businesses are national in scope and the Bank also offers a full range of products and services to both commercial and retail customers through its three branch offices across New York City, one branch office in Washington, D.C., one branch office in San Francisco, one commercial office in Boston and its digital banking platform. The Bank’s corporate divisions include commercial banking, trust and investment management and consumer banking. The Bank’s product line includes residential mortgage loans, commercial and industrial (C&I;) loans, commercial real estate (CRE) loans, multifamily mortgages, consumer loans and a variety of commercial and consumer deposit products, including savings accounts, money market accounts and others.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.

Amalgamated Bank has a Value Score of 80, which is considered to be undervalued.

When you look at Amalgamated Bank’s price-to-sales ratio at 2.02 compared to the industry median at 1.95, this company has a higher price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make Amalgamated Bank’s stock less attractive for value investors.

Amalgamated Bank’s price-earnings ratio is 8.27 compared to the industry median at 9.84. This means it has a lower share price relative to earnings compared to its peers. This could make Amalgamated Bank more attractive for value investors.

Now, let’s assess Amalgamated Bank’s EV/EBITDA ratio, also known as enterprise multiple. At 4.1, when compared to the industry median of 6.3, the company may be considered undervalued in relation to its peers. Value investors could use the enterprise multiple to identify stocks that are considered overvalued or undervalued relative to their industry.

Shareholder yield is the sum of a stock’s dividend yield (paid over previous 12 months minus special dividends) and the percentage of net share buybacks over the previous 12 months. Amalgamated Bank’s shareholder yield is lower than its industry median ratio of 3.53%. Value investors may look for an attractive shareholder yield because it can be a powerful tool for identifying if the company has a good management team.

As one of the most common value metrics, the price-to-book ratio evaluates a company’s current market price relative to its book value. Amalgamated Bank’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its industry median ratio of 0.95. This could make Amalgamated Bank less attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.

First Financial Bancorp’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

First Financial Bancorp. is a mid-sized, regional bank holding company. The Company is engaged in the business of commercial banking and other banking and banking-related activities through its wholly owned subsidiary, First Financial Bank (the Bank). The Company provides a range of banking services to individuals and businesses, including commercial lending, real estate lending and consumer financing. Real estate loans are loans secured by a mortgage lien on the real property of the borrower, which may either be residential property (one to four family residential housing units) or commercial property (owner-occupied and/or investor income producing real estate). In addition, the Company offers deposit products that include interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing accounts, time deposits and cash management services for commercial customers. It also provides a full range of trust and wealth management services through First Financials Wealth Management line of business.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.

First Financial Bancorp has a Value Score of 88, which is considered to be undervalued.

First Financial Bancorp’s price-earnings ratio is 8.2 compared to the industry median at 9.8. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes First Financial Bancorp more attractive for value investors.

First Financial Bancorp’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make First Financial Bancorp less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 0.95.

You can read more about First Financial Bancorp’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.

International Bancshares Corp’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

International Bancshares Corporation is a multibank financial holding company. The Company is engaged in providing a diversified range of commercial and retail banking services in its main banking and branch facilities located in north, south, central, and southeast Texas and the State of Oklahoma. The Company, through its subsidiary banks, is engaged in the business of accepting checking and savings deposits and the making of commercial, real estate, personal, home improvement, automobile and other installment and term loans. Its international banking business includes providing letters of credit, making commercial and industrial loans, and providing foreign-exchange services. The Company offers IBC Bank Online, an internet banking product that provides customers with online access to banking information and services, as well as IBC Mobile Banking, which provides users with banking access from their mobile devices. The Company has 256 automated teller machines (ATMs).

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.

International Bancshares Corp has a Value Score of 74, which is considered to be undervalued.

International Bancshares Corp’s price-earnings ratio is 8.2 compared to the industry median at 9.8. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes International Bancshares Corp more attractive for value investors.

International Bancshares Corp’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make International Bancshares Corp more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 0.95.

You can read more about International Bancshares Corp’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.

M&t; Bank Corp’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

M&T; Bank Corporation is a financial holding company. The Company has two wholly owned bank subsidiaries: M&T; Bank and Wilmington Trust, N.A. Its subsidiaries offer a range of retail and commercial banking, trust and wealth management, and investment services to their customers. Its segments include Commercial Bank, Retail Bank and Institutional Services and Wealth Management. The Commercial Bank segment provides a range of credit products and banking services to middle-market and large commercial customers, mainly within the markets served by the Company. The Retail Bank segment provides a range of services to consumers and small businesses through its branch network and several other delivery channels, such as telephone banking, Internet banking and automated teller machines. The Institutional Services and Wealth Management segment provides a variety of trustee, agency, investment management and administrative services for corporations and institutions, investment bankers and others.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.

M&t; Bank Corp has a Value Score of 85, which is considered to be undervalued.

M&t; Bank Corp’s price-earnings ratio is 9.1 compared to the industry median at 9.8. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes M&t; Bank Corp more attractive for value investors.

M&t; Bank Corp’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make M&t; Bank Corp fairly attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 0.95.

You can read more about M&t; Bank Corp’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.

Other Banks Stock Grades

Value is just one of the five Stock Grades included in our A+ Investor service. AAII members can see the top-graded stocks—those with grades of A or B for value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality—on the A+ Stock Grades Screener.

Also, if you want full access to all of AAII’s premium services, you can subscribe to one convenient bundled plan called AAII Platinum where you can try out A+ Investor, AAII Dividend Investing, the Stock Superstars Report, Growth Investing and VMQ Stocks. With the other premium services, you can dive deep into additional metrics, portfolios, commentary and information about Banks stocks as well as other industrys.

Choosing Which of the 4 Best Banks Stocks Is Right for You

Choosing which value stocks to invest in will ultimately depend on your individual goals and allocation; however, comparing similar value stocks in the same industry can help you analyze which might be better investments for you in the long run. So, let’s take a look at the Value Grade for all of our stocks.

• Amalgamated Bank stock has a Value Grade of B.
• First Financial Bancorp stock has a Value Grade of A.
• International Bancshares Corp stock has a Value Grade of B.
• M&t; Bank Corp stock has a Value Grade of A.

Now that you have a bit more background about each of the 4 undervalued stocks in the Banks industry as well as their overall grades, it’s time for you to conduct additional research to see if these could fit your portfolio needs based on your goals and risk tolerance. AAII can help you figure out both and identify which investments align with what works best for you.

We do so through a program of education that teaches you to invest for yourself and become an effective manager of your own wealth—no more relying on others for your financial independence. You can rely on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis that makes you a better investor.

A+ Investor adds to that qualitative teaching by giving you a powerful data suite that helps you whittle down investment decisions to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

Additional Resources About Banks Stocks

Want to learn more about Banks stocks to see if they could be the right investment for you? Check out some additional resources and articles to help you on your financial journey.

• 4 Undervalued Banks Stocks for Friday, March 08
• 5 Undervalued Banks Stocks for Thursday, March 07
• Why Banco Bbva Argentina SA (ADR)’s (BBAR) Stock Is Up 4.14%
• Why Bancorp Inc’s (TBBK) Stock Is Down 5.59%

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.