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 Investment Management & Fund Operators 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 Investment Management & Fund Operators 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 Investment Management & Fund Operators 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 Investment Management & Fund Operators industry for Friday, May 10, 2024. Let’s take a closer look at their individual scores to see how they measure up against each other and the Investment Management & Fund Operators 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.

Associated Capital Group Inc’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Associated Capital Group, Inc. is a diversified global financial services company. The Company provides alternative investment management services and operates a direct investment business that invests in businesses that fit its criteria over time. The Company conducts its investment management activities through its wholly owned subsidiary Gabelli & Company Investment Advisers, Inc. (GCIA) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Gabelli & Partners, LLC (Gabelli & Partners). GCIA and Gabelli & Partners together serve as general partners or investment managers to investment funds, including limited partnerships and offshore companies (collectively, Investment Partnerships), and separate accounts. It primarily manages assets across a range of risk and event arbitrage portfolios and in equity event-driven value strategies. It serves a variety of investors globally, including private wealth management clients, corporations, corporate pension and profit-sharing plans, foundations and endowments.

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.

Associated Capital Group Inc has a Value Score of 61, which is considered to be undervalued.

When you look at Associated Capital Group Inc’s price-to-sales ratio at 56.73 compared to the industry median at 3.98, this company has a higher price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make Associated Capital Group Inc’s stock less attractive for value investors.

Associated Capital Group Inc’s price-earnings ratio is 19.40 compared to the industry median at 14.25. This means it has a higher share price relative to earnings compared to its peers. This could make Associated Capital Group Inc less attractive for value investors.

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. Associated Capital Group Inc’s shareholder yield is lower than its industry median ratio of 3.34%. 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. Associated Capital Group Inc’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 1.07. This could make Associated Capital Group Inc more attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.

Lastly, let’s take a look at Associated Capital Group Inc’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio (P/FCF), which can indicate a company’s market value relative to its operating cash flow. Associated Capital Group Inc’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 15.38. This could make Associated Capital Group Inc more attractive because the lower P/FCF ratio indicates that Associated Capital Group Inc 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.

Gamco Investors Inc’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

GAMCO Investors, Inc. is a provider of investment advisory services to open and closed-end funds semi-transparent exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and institutional and private wealth management. The Company manages assets on a fully discretionary basis and invests in a variety of United States and international securities through various investment styles, including value, growth, non-market correlated, and convertible securities. The Company conducts its investment advisory business principally through two subsidiaries: Gabelli Funds, LLC (24 open-end funds, 14 closed-end funds, five actively managed semi-transparent ETFs, and a societe d'investissement a capital variable (SICAV)) and GAMCO Asset Management Inc. (approximately 1,400 institutional and private wealth separate accounts, principally in the United States). It serves various client bases, including institutions, intermediaries, offshore investors, private wealth, and direct retail investors.

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.

Gamco Investors Inc has a Value Score of 65, which is considered to be undervalued.

Gamco Investors Inc’s price-earnings ratio is 9.6 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 Gamco Investors Inc more attractive for value investors.

Gamco Investors Inc’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Gamco Investors Inc more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.07.

You can read more about Gamco Investors 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.

Noah Holdings Limited (ADR)’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Noah Holdings Limited is a wealth management service provider with a focus on global wealth investment and asset allocation services for high net worth individuals and enterprises in China. The Company operates through three segments: wealth management, asset management and Internet finance. It also provides Internet finance services to clients in China. It provides direct access to China's high net worth population. With approximately 1,100 relationship managers in over 130 branch offices, its coverage network includes China's regions where high net worth population is concentrated, including the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, the Bohai Rim and other regions. Its product offerings consist primarily of over-the-counter (OTC) wealth management and OTC asset management products, mutual fund products and asset management plans originated in China and designed to cater to the needs of China's high net worth population.

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.

Noah Holdings Limited (ADR) has a Value Score of 94, which is considered to be undervalued.

Noah Holdings Limited (ADR)’s price-earnings ratio is 7.2 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 Noah Holdings Limited (ADR) more attractive for value investors.

Noah Holdings Limited (ADR)’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Noah Holdings Limited (ADR) less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.07.

You can read more about Noah Holdings Limited (ADR)’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.

Principal Financial Group Inc’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Principal Financial Group, Inc. is a global financial company. The Company offers businesses, individuals and institutional clients a range of financial products and services, including retirement, asset management and insurance through its diverse family of financial services companies. The Company's segments include retirement and income solutions, principal asset management, and benefits and protection. The Retirement and Income Solutions segment offers workplace savings and retirement solutions, banking, trust and custodial services, individual variable annuities, and pension risk transfer, among others. The Principal Asset Management segment provides global investment solutions to institutional, retirement, retail and high net worth investors. The Benefits and Protection segment is organized into Specialty Benefits, which provides group dental, group life insurance, group disability insurance, supplemental health products, and individual disability insurance, and life insurance.

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.

Principal Financial Group Inc has a Value Score of 72, which is considered to be undervalued.

Principal Financial Group Inc’s price-earnings ratio is 15.9 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 Principal Financial Group Inc less attractive for value investors.

Principal Financial Group Inc’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Principal Financial Group Inc more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.07.

You can read more about Principal Financial Group 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.

Westwood Holdings Group, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Westwood Holdings Group, Inc. manages investment assets and provides services for clients through its subsidiaries, Westwood Management Corp., Westwood Advisors, L.L.C. and Salient Advisors, L.P. The Company’s segments include Advisory and Trust. The Advisory segment provides investment advisory services to corporate pension and profit-sharing plans, public employee retirement funds, Taft-Hartley plans, endowments, foundations and individuals, sub-advisory. It also provides investment management services to the Westwood Funds. The Company’s advisory business investment capabilities: United States Value Equity, Multi-Asset, Energy and Real Assets, Tactical Absolute Return, and Income Alternatives. The Trust segment provides trust and custodial services and participation in common trust funds that it sponsors to institutions and high-net worth individuals. It provides investment advisory services to institutional investors; a family of mutual funds called the Westwood Funds.

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.

Westwood Holdings Group, Inc. has a Value Score of 81, which is considered to be undervalued.

Westwood Holdings Group, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 8.9 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 Westwood Holdings Group, Inc. more attractive for value investors.

Westwood Holdings Group, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Westwood Holdings Group, Inc. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.07.

You can read more about Westwood Holdings Group, 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.

Other Investment Management & Fund Operators 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 Investment Management & Fund Operators stocks as well as other industrys.

Choosing Which of the 5 Best Investment Management & Fund Operators 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.

• Associated Capital Group Inc stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Gamco Investors Inc stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Noah Holdings Limited (ADR) stock has a Value Grade of A.
• Principal Financial Group Inc stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Westwood Holdings Group, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of A.

Now that you have a bit more background about each of the 5 undervalued stocks in the Investment Management & Fund Operators 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 Investment Management & Fund Operators Stocks

Want to learn more about Investment Management & Fund Operators 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 Investment Management & Fund Operators Stocks for Friday, May 10
• 7 Undervalued Investment Management & Fund Operators Stocks for Thursday, May 09
• What You Need to Know About Brookfield Corp's Q1 Earnings
• What You Need to Know About Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending Corp's Q4 Earnings

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