Based on key financial metrics such as the price-to-sales ratio, shareholder yield and the price-earnings ratio, the following 6 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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6 Undervalued Software Stocks

Of course, there are countless value stocks that are worth mentioning, but this is a concise list of the top 6 undervalued stocks in the Software industry for Monday, October 14, 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.

Bridgeline Digital, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Bridgeline Digital, Inc. operates as a marketing technology company in the United States, Canada, and internationally. The company offers HawkSearch, a site search, recommendation, and personalization application for marketers, merchandisers, and developers; Celebros Search, a commerce-oriented site search product that provides natural language processing with artificial intelligence; and Woorank, a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) audit tool that generates an instant performance audit of the site’s technical, on-page, and off-page SEO. It also provides Bridgeline TruPresence, a web content management and eCommerce platform to support the needs of multi-unit organizations and franchises; Bridgeline Unbound, a technology suite that empower marketers to easily manage their digital experiences and create personalized customer journeys; and OrchestraCMS, a digital experience platform that enables development of custom solutions, third-party integrations, and delivery of digital transformation initiatives on the Salesforce platform. In addition, the company offers digital engagement services comprising digital strategy, web design and web development, usability engineering, information architecture, and SEO, as well as hosting services. It serves vertical markets, such as industrial distributors and wholesalers, franchises and enterprises, manufacturers, eCommerce retailers, health services and life sciences, technology, credit unions and banks, and associations and foundations through its direct sales force. The company was formerly known as Bridgeline Software, Inc. Bridgeline Digital, Inc. was incorporated in 2000 and is based in Woburn, Massachusetts.

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.

Bridgeline Digital, Inc. has a Value Score of 69, which is considered to be undervalued.

When you look at Bridgeline Digital, Inc.’s price-to-sales ratio at 0.80 compared to the industry median at 3.80, this company has a lower price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make Bridgeline Digital, Inc.’s stock more 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. Bridgeline Digital, Inc.’s shareholder yield is higher than its industry median ratio of (2.60%). 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. Bridgeline Digital, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 3.47. This could make Bridgeline Digital, Inc. more attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.

Griid Infrastructure Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Griid Infrastructure Inc. operates as a vertically integrated bitcoin mining company in North America. The company owns and operates a portfolio of energy infrastructure and data centers. It also engages in bitcoin mining operation, which operates specialized computers that generate cryptocurrency. The company was founded in 2018 and is based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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.

Griid Infrastructure Inc. has a Value Score of 69, which is considered to be undervalued.

Griid Infrastructure Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 2.2 compared to the industry median at 41.9. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Griid Infrastructure Inc. more attractive for value investors.

You can read more about Griid Infrastructure 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.

Marin Software Incorporated’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Marin Software Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, provides enterprise marketing software for advertisers and agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It offers MarinOne, a search, social, and eCommerce advertising platform, as well as self-serves solutions and managed services. The company markets and sells its solutions to advertisers directly, and through advertising agencies that use its platform on behalf of their customers. Marin Software Incorporated was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

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 Incorporated has a Value Score of 89, which is considered to be undervalued.

Marin Software Incorporated’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Marin Software Incorporated less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 3.47.

You can read more about Marin Software Incorporated’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.

The9 Limited’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

The9 Limited operates as a cryptocurrency mining business in China, Eastern Europe, Asia, and North America. The company was formerly known as GameNow.net Limited and changed its name to The9 Limited in February 2004. The9 Limited was incorporated in 1999 and is headquartered in Shanghai, the People’s Republic of China.

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.

The9 Limited has a Value Score of 76, which is considered to be undervalued.

The9 Limited’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make The9 Limited less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 3.47.

You can read more about The9 Limited’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.

NetSol Technologies, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

NetSol Technologies, Inc. engages in the design, development, marketing, and export of enterprise software solutions to the automobile financing and leasing, banking, and financial services industries in the United States, North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. The company offers NFS Ascent, a suite of financial applications for businesses in the finance and leasing industry. It also offers Omni Point of Sale, a web-based application; Self Point of Sale, a self POS portal; Mobile Point of Sale, a web and mobile-enabled platform; Contract Management System (CMS), an application for managing and maintaining credit contracts; Mobile Account, a mobile solution; Mobile Collector that allows collections teams to increase productivity; Wholesale Finance System (WFS), a system for automating and managing the lifecycle of wholesale finance; and Mobile Dealer that provides more visibility and control over inventories. In addition, the company offers Otoz Ecosystem, a state-of-the-art technology that provides open application programming interfaces; Otoz Digital Retail that helps?OEMs and dealers move into?the?digital era; and Otoz Mobility Orchestration, a comprehensive in-life subscription and rental platform. Further, it provides Appex Now, a marketplace of API-first products for the global credit, finance and leasing industry, including Flex, Hubex, Index, Dock, Lane, and T-Rate. Additionally, it offers system integration, consulting, and information technology products and services. It serves blue chip organizations, Dow-Jones 30 Industrials, Fortune 500 manufacturers, financial institutions, and vehicle manufacturers. The company was incorporated in 1997 and is headquartered in Encino, California.

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.

NetSol Technologies, Inc. has a Value Score of 61, which is considered to be undervalued.

NetSol Technologies, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 53.3 compared to the industry median at 41.9. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes NetSol Technologies, Inc. less attractive for value investors.

NetSol Technologies, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make NetSol Technologies, Inc. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 3.47.

You can read more about NetSol Technologies, 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.

QXO, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

QXO, Inc. operates as a business application, technology, and consulting company in North America. The company provides solutions for accounting and business management, financial reporting, enterprise resource planning, human capital management, warehouse management systems, customer relationship management, and business intelligence. It also offers value-added services that focuses on consulting and professional, specialized programming, training, and technical support services. In addition, the company provides information technology managed services, such as cybersecurity, application hosting, disaster recovery, business continuity, cloud, and other services; and data back-up, network maintenance, and upgrade services. It serves small and medium-sized businesses primarily in the manufacturing, distribution, and service industries. QXO, Inc. is headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut.

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.

QXO, Inc. has a Value Score of 68, which is considered to be undervalued.

QXO, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make QXO, Inc. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 3.47.

You can read more about QXO, 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 6 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.

• Bridgeline Digital, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Griid Infrastructure Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Marin Software Incorporated stock has a Value Grade of A.
• The9 Limited stock has a Value Grade of B.
• NetSol Technologies, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
• QXO, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.

Now that you have a bit more background about each of the 6 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.

• 6 Undervalued Software Stocks for Monday, October 14
• 5 Undervalued Software Stocks for Friday, October 11
• 6 Undervalued Software Stocks for Thursday, October 10
• 4 Undervalued Software Stocks for Wednesday, October 09

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.