Based on key financial metrics such as the price-to-sales ratio, shareholder yield and the price-earnings ratio, the following 7 stocks made the list for top value stocks in the Software 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 Software 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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7 Undervalued Software Stocks

Of course, there are countless value stocks that are worth mentioning, but this is a concise list of the top 7 undervalued stocks in the Software industry for Friday, August 09, 2024. Let’s take a closer look at their individual scores to see how they measure up against each other and the Software 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.

Consensus Cloud Solutions Inc’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc. is a digital fax provider. The Company provides secure information delivery services with a scalable software-as-a-service platform. It provides data transformation solutions for regulated industries such as healthcare, finance, insurance, real estate and manufacturing, as well as technology for state and the federal government. Its solutions consist of cloud faxing; digital signature; intelligent data extraction using natural language processing and artificial intelligence; robotic process automation; interoperability; workflow enhancement, and a connectivity and integration engine for healthcare providers. The Company's solutions can be combined with managed services for optimal outcomes. Its small office/home office (SoHo) brands include eFax, jSign, MyFax, Sfax, Metrofax, and SRfax. Its solutions include eFax Corporate, ECFax, Unite, jSign, Conductor, Clarity and eFax. Conductor is a robust interface engine and complete interoperability platform.

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.

Consensus Cloud Solutions Inc has a Value Score of 96, which is considered to be undervalued.

When you look at Consensus Cloud Solutions Inc’s price-to-sales ratio at 1.04 compared to the industry median at 3.52, this company has a lower price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make Consensus Cloud Solutions Inc’s stock more attractive for value investors.

Consensus Cloud Solutions Inc’s price-earnings ratio is 4.29 compared to the industry median at 44.09. This means it has a lower share price relative to earnings compared to its peers. This could make Consensus Cloud Solutions Inc more attractive for value investors.

Now, let’s assess Consensus Cloud Solutions Inc’s EV/EBITDA ratio, also known as enterprise multiple. At 5.4, when compared to the industry median of 24.9, 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. Consensus Cloud Solutions Inc’s shareholder yield is higher than its industry median ratio of (2.25%). 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.

Lastly, let’s take a look at Consensus Cloud Solutions Inc’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio (P/FCF), which can indicate a company’s market value relative to its operating cash flow. Consensus Cloud Solutions Inc’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 27.78. This could make Consensus Cloud Solutions Inc more attractive because the lower P/FCF ratio indicates that Consensus Cloud Solutions 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.

Cardlytics Inc’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Cardlytics, Inc. is a provider of a digital advertising platform. The Company operates an advertising platform within its own and its partners' digital channels, which includes online, mobile applications, email and various real-time notifications (the Cardlytics platform). Through the Cardlytics platform, marketers can deliver advertising content to customers that allows them to earn rewards, which are funded with a portion of the fees it collects from marketers. It maintains the Cardlytics platform in both the United States and the United Kingdom. With the Cardlytics platform, it enables marketers to reach potential customers across its network of financial institutions (FI) partners through their digital banking accounts. It also operates a customer data platform, Bridg platform, which utilizes point-of-sale (POS) data, including product-level purchase data, to enable marketers to perform analytics and targeted loyalty marketing and also measure the impact of their marketing.

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.

Cardlytics Inc has a Value Score of 64, which is considered to be undervalued.

Cardlytics Inc’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Cardlytics Inc less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 3.13.

You can read more about Cardlytics 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.

Ibex Ltd’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

IBEX Limited is a provider in global business process outsourcing and end-to-end customer engagement technology solutions that helps drive customer experiences (CX) for brands. The services it provides for clients are digital and traditional omni-channel capabilities. The Company has designed a differentiated suite of digital and operational solutions meant to manage interactions throughout the phases of the customer lifecycle, across multiple channels, customized to a client's specific needs. Its services cover three areas: Digital & Omni-Channel Customer Experience (ibex Connect), Digital Marketing and E-Commerce (ibex Digital), and Digital CX surveys and analytics (ibex CX). The ibex Connect business unit delivers differentiated customer service, technical support, revenue generation and other value-added outsourced back-office services to its clients. The ibex Digital offers digital marketing, e-commerce technology and platform solutions for brands.

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.

Ibex Ltd has a Value Score of 91, which is considered to be undervalued.

Ibex Ltd’s price-earnings ratio is 10.3 compared to the industry median at 44.1. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Ibex Ltd more attractive for value investors.

Ibex Ltd’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Ibex Ltd less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 3.13.

You can read more about Ibex Ltd’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.

Marin Software Inc’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Marin Software Incorporated is a provider of digital marketing software for search, social and e-commerce channels, offered as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) advertising management platform for advertisers and agencies advertisers and agencies. Its platform is an analytics, workflow and optimization solution for marketing professionals, allowing them to manage their digital advertising spend effectively. The Company market and sell its solutions to advertisers directly and through advertising agencies. Advertisers use its platform to create, target, and convert precise audiences based on recent buying signals from users' search, social, and e-commerce interactions. Its platform integrates with publishers, such as Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, and others. Additionally, it has integrations with various Web analytics and advertisement-serving solutions and critical enterprise applications, enabling its customers to measure the return on investment of their marketing programs.

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.

Marin Software Inc has a Value Score of 75, which is considered to be undervalued.

Marin Software Inc’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Marin Software Inc less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 3.13.

You can read more about Marin Software 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.

Perion Network Ltd’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Perion Network Ltd is an Israel-based global technology. The Company delivers the digital advertising. ecosystem, providing brands, agencies and publishers with a holistic ability to identify and reach their customers across all channels with high-impact creative units that are orchestrated by its proprietary Intelligent Hub (iHUB), which offers cross-sell. Perion Network Ltd operates in three main pillars of digital advertising: ad search, social media, and display ,video or CTV. Another aspect of Perion’s technological solutions, is SORT technology. SORT alternative technology is a machine learning model that analyzes millions of data combinations to create cookieless targeting groups consisting of people who think and react to ads like one another.

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.

Perion Network Ltd has a Value Score of 91, which is considered to be undervalued.

Perion Network Ltd’s price-earnings ratio is 4.1 compared to the industry median at 44.1. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Perion Network Ltd more attractive for value investors.

Perion Network Ltd’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Perion Network Ltd less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 3.13.

You can read more about Perion Network Ltd’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.

Upland Software Inc’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Upland Software, Inc. provides cloud-based software applications. The Company's applications enable its customers to drive digital transformation in various business functions, including marketing, sales, contact center, knowledge management, project management, information technology, business operations, and human resources and legal. Its applications interact with consumers across multiple channels to acquire new customers, drive product and service utilization, and resolve issues. It offers applications that help organizations optimize their sales opportunities and account management processes, coordinate proposal and reference activities, collaborate on the creation and publication of digital content and gain increased control over key sales and marketing workflows, activities and budgets. It offers applications that improve customer experience and reduce call volume and cycle times through customer self-service products and voice of the customer (VoC) technology.

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.

Upland Software Inc has a Value Score of 80, which is considered to be undervalued.

Upland Software Inc’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Upland Software Inc more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 3.13.

You can read more about Upland Software 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.

Xperi Inc’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Xperi Inc. is a consumer and entertainment technology company. The Company invents, develops, and delivers technologies that are integrated into a variety of consumer devices and media platforms worldwide, powering smart devices, connected cars and entertainment experiences. It operates through four business categories: Pay-TV, Consumer Electronics, Connected Car and Media Platform. Pay-TV transforms the traditional television user experience from linear multi-channel video program distribution (MVPD) to cloud-based digital video recordings (DVRs). Its Consumer Electronics business provides technology solutions delivered to its customers to enhance their entertainment experience in the home and on-the-go. Its Connected Car transforms the automotive experience through multimedia and personalization to the connected car. The Company’s Media Platform provides technology that enables consumers to find, watch, and enjoy their favorite media entertainment on connected devices.

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.

Xperi Inc has a Value Score of 64, which is considered to be undervalued.

Xperi Inc’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Xperi Inc less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 3.13.

You can read more about Xperi 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 Software 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 Software stocks as well as other industrys.

Choosing Which of the 7 Best Software 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.

• Consensus Cloud Solutions Inc stock has a Value Grade of A.
• Cardlytics Inc stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Ibex Ltd stock has a Value Grade of A.
• Marin Software Inc stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Perion Network Ltd stock has a Value Grade of A.
• Upland Software Inc stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Xperi Inc stock has a Value Grade of B.

Now that you have a bit more background about each of the 7 undervalued stocks in the Software 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 Software Stocks

Want to learn more about Software 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.

• 7 Undervalued Software Stocks for Friday, August 09
• 7 Undervalued Software Stocks for Thursday, August 08
• What You Need to Know About Consensus Cloud Solutions Inc's Q2 Earnings
• What You Need to Know About Datadog Inc's Q2 Earnings

AAII Disclaimer

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