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 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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6 Undervalued Banks 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 Banks industry for Friday, October 18, 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.

AmeriServ Financial, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

AmeriServ Financial, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for AmeriServ Financial Bank that provides various consumer, mortgage, and commercial financial products in the United States. The company offers retail banking services, including demand, savings, and time deposits; checking and money market accounts; secured and unsecured consumer loans, and mortgage loans; and safe deposit boxes, holiday club accounts, and money orders. It also provides lending, depository, and related financial services, such as commercial real estate mortgage loans, short and medium-term loans, revolving credit arrangements, lines of credit, inventory and accounts receivable financing, real estate-construction loans, business savings accounts, wire transfers, night depository, and lock box services to commercial, industrial, financial, and governmental customers. In addition, the company offers wealth management, including personal trust products and services comprising personal portfolio investment management, estate planning and administration, custodial services, and pre-need trusts; institutional trust products and services comprising 401(k) plans, defined benefit and defined contribution employee benefit plans, and individual retirement accounts; financial services consisting of the sale of mutual funds, annuities, and insurance products; and union collective investment funds to invest union pension dollars in construction projects that utilize union labor. AmeriServ Financial, Inc. was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

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.

AmeriServ Financial, Inc. has a Value Score of 94, which is considered to be undervalued.

When you look at AmeriServ Financial, Inc.’s price-to-sales ratio at 1.13 compared to the industry median at 2.95, this company has a lower price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make AmeriServ Financial, 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. AmeriServ Financial, Inc.’s shareholder yield is higher than its industry median ratio of 2.90%. 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. AmeriServ Financial, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 1.01. This could make AmeriServ Financial, Inc. more attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.

Ballston Spa Bancorp, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Ballston Spa Bancorp, Inc. operates as a holding company for Ballston Spa National Bank that provides a range of banking, financing, fiduciary, brokerage, and other financial services to corporate, municipal, and individual customers in the United States. It offers checking, money market, savings, health savings, and individual retirement accounts, as well as certificates of deposit; loan products, such as mortgage and home construction, improvement, and equity loans, auto, boat, RV, personal, commercial, and small business loans, as well as lines of credit and government programs; and debits and credit cards. The company also provides personal investment services, which include annuities, college savings plans, mutual funds, and life and long term care insurance products; retirement plans; college planning services; investment and asset management; trusteeship; estate settlement; special needs and disability trusts; and wealth management services. In addition, the company offers treasury management services; and merchant and payment processing services, as well as online and mobile banking, and digital payments. The company was founded in 1838 and is based in Ballston Spa, New York.

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.

Ballston Spa Bancorp, Inc. has a Value Score of 87, which is considered to be undervalued.

Ballston Spa Bancorp, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 9.2 compared to the industry median at 12.2. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Ballston Spa Bancorp, Inc. more attractive for value investors.

Ballston Spa Bancorp, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Ballston Spa Bancorp, Inc. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.01.

You can read more about Ballston Spa Bancorp, 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.

Colony Bankcorp, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Colony Bankcorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Colony Bank that provides various banking products and services to commercial and consumer customers. The company offers deposit products, including demand, savings, and time deposits. It also provides loans to small and medium-sized businesses; residential and commercial construction, and land development loans; commercial real estate loans; commercial loans; agri-business and production loans; residential mortgage loans; home equity loans; and consumer loans. In addition, the company offers internet banking services, electronic bill payment services, safe deposit box rentals, telephone banking, credit and debit card services, and remote depository products, as well as access to a network of ATMs. The company was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Fitzgerald, Georgia.

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.

Colony Bankcorp, Inc. has a Value Score of 62, which is considered to be undervalued.

Colony Bankcorp, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 12.5 compared to the industry median at 12.2. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Colony Bankcorp, Inc. less attractive for value investors.

Colony Bankcorp, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Colony Bankcorp, Inc. more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.01.

You can read more about Colony Bankcorp, 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.

Malaga Financial Corporation’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Malaga Financial Corporation operates as the holding company for Malaga Bank that provides various community banking products and services to personal and business customers. It offers checking, savings, NOW, and money market accounts, certificates of deposits, business banking, consumer, and demand deposits. The company also provides commercial real estate, single and multi-family residential mortgage, consumer, 1–4-unit investment property, construction, personal, and business loans; home equity lines of credit; and certificates of deposit. In addition, it offers coupon redemption, direct deposit, overdraft lines of credit, telephone transfers, U.S. savings bond redemption, and wire transfer services; and ATM and VISA debit cards, bank by mail, medallion signature guarantee, night depository, notary, safe deposit boxes, and trust deed note collection services. Further, the company provides online banking services, including bill payer, e-statements, and mobile banking services. The company was incorporated in 2002 and is headquartered in Palos Verdes Estates, 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.

Malaga Financial Corporation has a Value Score of 71, which is considered to be undervalued.

Malaga Financial Corporation’s price-earnings ratio is 9.0 compared to the industry median at 12.2. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Malaga Financial Corporation more attractive for value investors.

Malaga Financial Corporation’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Malaga Financial Corporation less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.01.

You can read more about Malaga Financial 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.

OptimumBank Holdings, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

OptimumBank Holdings, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for OptimumBank that provides various consumer and commercial banking services to individuals and businesses. It accepts demand interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing, savings, money market, and NOW accounts, as well as time deposits, wire transfers, ACH services, and certificates of deposit. The company also offers residential and commercial real estate, multi-family real estate, land and construction loans; commercial loans are generally used for working capital purposes or for acquiring equipment, inventory, and furniture; and consumer loans for various purposes, including purchases of automobiles, recreational vehicles, boats, home improvements, lines of credit, personal, and deposit account collateralized loans. In addition, it provides Visa debit and ATM cards; cash management, notary, and night depository services; and direct deposits, money orders, cashier’s checks, domestic collections, and banking by mail, as well as internet banking services. The company was founded in 2000 and is based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

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.

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

OptimumBank Holdings, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 3.8 compared to the industry median at 12.2. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes OptimumBank Holdings, Inc. more attractive for value investors.

OptimumBank Holdings, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make OptimumBank Holdings, Inc. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.01.

You can read more about OptimumBank Holdings, 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.

Simmons First National Corporation’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Simmons First National Corporation operates as the holding company for Simmons Bank that provides banking and other financial products and services to individuals and businesses. The company offers checking, savings, and time deposits; consumer, real estate, and commercial loans; agricultural finance, equipment, and small business administration lending; trust and fiduciary services; credit cards; investment management products; treasury management; insurance products; and securities and investment services. It also provides ATM services; Internet and mobile banking platforms; overdraft facilities; and safe deposit boxes. The company was founded in 1903 and is headquartered in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

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.

Simmons First National Corporation has a Value Score of 72, which is considered to be undervalued.

Simmons First National Corporation’s price-earnings ratio is 19.6 compared to the industry median at 12.2. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Simmons First National Corporation less attractive for value investors.

Simmons First National Corporation’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Simmons First National Corporation less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.01.

You can read more about Simmons First National 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 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 6 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.

• AmeriServ Financial, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of A.
• Ballston Spa Bancorp, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of A.
• Colony Bankcorp, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Malaga Financial Corporation stock has a Value Grade of B.
• OptimumBank Holdings, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of A.
• Simmons First National Corporation stock has a Value Grade of B.

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

• 6 Undervalued Banks Stocks for Friday, October 18
• 3 Undervalued Banks Stocks for Thursday, October 17
• 4 Undervalued Banks Stocks for Wednesday, October 16
• 4 Undervalued Banks Stocks for Tuesday, October 15

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.