Based on key financial metrics such as the price-to-sales ratio, shareholder yield and the price-earnings ratio, the following 5 stocks made the list for top value stocks in the Metals & Mining - Iron & Steel 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 Metals & Mining - Iron & Steel 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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5 Undervalued Metals & Mining - Iron & Steel Stocks

Of course, there are countless value stocks that are worth mentioning, but this is a concise list of the top 5 undervalued stocks in the Metals & Mining - Iron & Steel industry for Friday, March 29, 2024. Let’s take a closer look at their individual scores to see how they measure up against each other and the Metals & Mining - Iron & Steel 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.

Nucor Corp’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Nucor Corporation is a manufacturer of steel and steel products, with operating facilities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It also produces and procures ferrous and non-ferrous materials primarily for use in its steel manufacturing business. Its segments include Steel Mills, Steel products, and Raw materials. The Steel Mills segment produces sheet steel (hot-rolled, cold-rolled and galvanized), plate steel, structural steel (wide-flange beams, beam blanks, H-piling, and sheet piling) and bar steel (blooms, billets, concrete reinforcing bar, merchant bar and engineered special bar quality. The Steel products segment produces steel joists and joist girders, steel deck, galvanized torque tubes used in solar arrays, hollow structural section (HSS) steel tubing, electrical conduit, fabricated concrete reinforcing steel, cold finished steel, and steel fasteners. The Raw materials segment produces direct reduced iron (DRI); brokers ferrous and nonferrous metals, and pig iron.

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.

Nucor Corp has a Value Score of 75, which is considered to be undervalued.

When you look at Nucor Corp’s price-to-sales ratio at 1.41 compared to the industry median at 0.51, this company has a higher price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make Nucor Corp’s stock less attractive for value investors.

Nucor Corp’s price-earnings ratio is 10.95 compared to the industry median at 14.32. This means it has a lower share price relative to earnings compared to its peers. This could make Nucor Corp more attractive for value investors.

Now, let’s assess Nucor Corp’s EV/EBITDA ratio, also known as enterprise multiple. At 6.0, when compared to the industry median of 6.1, 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. Nucor Corp’s shareholder yield is higher than its industry median ratio of 1.87%. 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. Nucor Corp’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its industry median ratio of 1.26. This could make Nucor Corp less attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.

Lastly, let’s take a look at Nucor Corp’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio (P/FCF), which can indicate a company’s market value relative to its operating cash flow. Nucor Corp’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio is higher than its industry median ratio of 10.68. This could make Nucor Corp less attractive because the higher P/FCF ratio indicates that Nucor Corp is undervalued. The P/FCF ratio metric can also be viewed over a long-term time frame to see if the company's cash flow to share price value is generally improving or worsening.

Northwest Pipe Co’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Northwest Pipe Company is a manufacturer of water-related infrastructure products. The Company also manufactures storm water and wastewater technology products, precast and reinforced concrete products, pump lift stations, steel casing pipe, bar-wrapped concrete cylinder pipe, and offers pipeline system joints, fittings, and specialized components. The Company provides solution-based products for a wide range of markets under the ParkUSA, Geneva Pipe and Precast, Permalok, and Northwest Pipe Company lines. The Company's Engineered Steel Pressure Pipe (SPP) segment manufactures large-diameter, high-pressure steel pipeline systems for use in water infrastructure applications, which are primarily related to drinking water systems. The Company's Precast Infrastructure and Engineered Systems (Precast) segment manufactures storm water and wastewater technology products, high-quality precast and reinforced concrete products.

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.

Northwest Pipe Co has a Value Score of 71, which is considered to be undervalued.

Northwest Pipe Co’s price-earnings ratio is 16.6 compared to the industry median at 14.3. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Northwest Pipe Co less attractive for value investors.

Northwest Pipe Co’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Northwest Pipe Co less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.26.

You can read more about Northwest Pipe Co’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.

SunCoke Energy Inc’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

SunCoke Energy, Inc. is an independent producer of coke. The Company’s segments include Domestic Coke, Brazil Coke, and Logistics. The Domestic Coke segment consists of coke making facilities and heat recovery operations at its Jewell, Indiana Harbor, Haverhill, Granite City and Middletown plants. The Brazil segment consists of coke making operations located in Vitoria, Brazil, where it operates the ArcelorMittal Brazil coke making facility for a Brazilian subsidiary of ArcelorMittal S.A. The Logistics segment consists of Convent Marine Terminal (CMT), Kanawha River Terminal (KRT) and SunCoke Lake Terminal (Lake Terminal). Its terminals act as intermediaries between its customers and end users by providing transloading and mixing services. CMT is located in Convent, Louisiana, with access to seaborne markets for coal and other industrial materials. The terminal provides loading and unloading services and has direct rail access.

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.

SunCoke Energy Inc has a Value Score of 84, which is considered to be undervalued.

SunCoke Energy Inc’s price-earnings ratio is 16.6 compared to the industry median at 14.3. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes SunCoke Energy Inc less attractive for value investors.

SunCoke Energy Inc’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make SunCoke Energy Inc more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.26.

You can read more about SunCoke Energy Inc’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.

Worthington Enterprises Inc’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Worthington Enterprises Inc. is a designer and manufacturer of brands that enable people to live safer, healthier and more expressive lives. The Company operates through three businesses: building products, consumer products and sustainable energy solutions. The comprehensive portfolio of building products includes heating and cooling solutions, specialized construction products, water systems, ceiling solutions, and metal framing options. The consumer products include tools, outdoor living and celebrations categories sold under brand names Balloon Time, Bernzomatic, Coleman, Garden-Weasel, General, HALO, Hawkeye, Level5 Tools, Mag Torch, Pactool International and Well-X-Trol. The sustainable energy solutions offer on-board fueling systems and services, as well as gas containment solutions and services for the storage, transport, and distribution of industrial gases, supporting the growing hydrogen ecosystem and adjacent sustainable energies like compressed natural gas.

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.

Worthington Enterprises Inc has a Value Score of 80, which is considered to be undervalued.

Worthington Enterprises Inc’s price-earnings ratio is 10.4 compared to the industry median at 14.3. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Worthington Enterprises Inc more attractive for value investors.

Worthington Enterprises Inc’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Worthington Enterprises Inc more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.26.

You can read more about Worthington Enterprises Inc’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.

United States Steel Corporation’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

United States Steel Corporation is a steel producer. The Company operates through four segments: North American Flat-Rolled (Flat-Rolled), Mini Mill, U. S. Steel Europe (USSE) and Tubular Products (Tubular). The Flat-Rolled segment is involved in the production of slabs, strip mill plates, sheets and tin mill products, as well as all iron ore, direct reduced grade pellets, pig iron, and coke production facilities in the United States. The Mini Mill segment produces hot-rolled, cold-rolled, coated sheets and electrical steels. The USSE segment produces and sells slabs, strip mill plate, sheet, tin mill products and spiral welded pipe. The Tubular segment produces and sells rounds, seamless and electric resistance welded (ERW) steel casing and tubing (OCTG), and standard and line pipe and mechanical tubing. It serves the automotive, construction, appliance, energy, container, and packaging industries with high value-added steel products such as its XG3 advanced high-strength steel.

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.

United States Steel Corporation has a Value Score of 92, which is considered to be undervalued.

United States Steel Corporation’s price-earnings ratio is 11.7 compared to the industry median at 14.3. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes United States Steel Corporation more attractive for value investors.

United States Steel Corporation’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make United States Steel Corporation less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.26.

You can read more about United States Steel Corporation’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 Metals & Mining - Iron & Steel 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 Metals & Mining - Iron & Steel stocks as well as other industrys.

Choosing Which of the 5 Best Metals & Mining - Iron & Steel 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.

• Nucor Corp stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Northwest Pipe Co stock has a Value Grade of B.
• SunCoke Energy Inc stock has a Value Grade of A.
• Worthington Enterprises Inc stock has a Value Grade of B.
• United States Steel Corporation stock has a Value Grade of A.

Now that you have a bit more background about each of the 5 undervalued stocks in the Metals & Mining - Iron & Steel 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 Metals & Mining - Iron & Steel Stocks

Want to learn more about Metals & Mining - Iron & Steel 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.

• 5 Undervalued Metals & Mining - Iron & Steel Stocks for Friday, March 29
• 5 Undervalued Metals & Mining - Iron & Steel Stocks for Thursday, March 28
• Why Universal Stainless & Alloy Products Inc’s (USAP) Stock Is Down 8.94%
• 5 Undervalued Metals & Mining - Iron & Steel Stocks for Wednesday, March 27

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