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 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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5 Undervalued Banks 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 Banks industry for Friday, March 14, 2025. 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.

Axos Financial, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Axos Financial, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides consumer and business banking products in the United States. It operates through two segments, Banking Business and Securities Business. It offers deposits products, including consumer and business checking, savings, time deposit, and commercial and deposits. The company also provides residential single family, multifamily, and commercial mortgage loans; commercial real estate secured, commercial and industrial non-real estate, and auto and consumer loans. In addition, it offers various investment and wealth management services, such as disclosed clearing, recordkeeping, trade reporting, and reorganization assistance services, as well as margin loans and securities lending services. The company was formerly known as BofI Holding, Inc. and changed its name to Axos Financial, Inc. in September 2018. Axos Financial, Inc. was incorporated in 1999 and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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.

Axos Financial, Inc. has a Value Score of 66, which is considered to be undervalued.

When you look at Axos Financial, Inc.’s price-to-sales ratio at 3.00 compared to the industry median at 2.84, this company has a higher price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make Axos Financial, Inc.’s stock less attractive for value investors.

Axos Financial, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 8.30 compared to the industry median at 11.30. This means it has a lower share price relative to earnings compared to its peers. This could make Axos Financial, Inc. 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. Axos Financial, Inc.’s shareholder yield is lower 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. Axos Financial, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its industry median ratio of 0.96. This could make Axos Financial, Inc. less attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.

Lastly, let’s take a look at Axos Financial, Inc.’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio (P/FCF), which can indicate a company’s market value relative to its operating cash flow. Axos Financial, Inc.’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 15.35. This could make Axos Financial, Inc. more attractive because the lower P/FCF ratio indicates that Axos Financial, 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.

Popular, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Popular, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides various retail, mortgage, and commercial banking products and services in Puerto Rico, the United States, and the British Virgin Islands. The company offers savings, NOW, money market, and other interest-bearing demand accounts; non-interest bearing demand deposits; and certificates of deposit. It also provides commercial and industrial, commercial multi-family, commercial real estate, and residential mortgage loans; consumer loans, including personal loans, credit cards, automobile loans, home equity lines of credit, and other loans to individual borrowers; construction loans; and lease financing comprising automobile loans/leases. In addition, the company offers investment banking, auto and equipment leasing and financing, broker-dealer, and insurance services; debit cards; and online banking services. Popular, Inc. was founded in 1893 and is headquartered in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico.

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.

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

Popular, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 10.3 compared to the industry median at 11.3. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Popular, Inc. more attractive for value investors.

Popular, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Popular, Inc. more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 0.96.

You can read more about Popular, 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.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp operates as the bank holding company for Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California that provides various banking services to businesses and individuals. The company accepts various deposit products, including checking, savings, money market, time certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts. It also offers range of lending products comprising commercial and residential real estate, real estate construction, agribusiness, and consumer loans, as well as equipment leases and credit card services; commercial products, including term loans, lines of credit and other working capital financing, and letters of credit; and financing products, such as automobile financing, home improvement, and home equity lines of credit. In addition, the company provides various specialized services consisting of credit card programs for merchants, lockbox and other collection services, account reconciliation, investment sweep, online account access, and electronic funds transfers through domestic and international wire and automated clearinghouse; online banking services; and investment products, such as mutual funds and annuities. The company was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in Lodi, 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.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp has a Value Score of 79, which is considered to be undervalued.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s price-earnings ratio is 8.5 compared to the industry median at 11.3. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Farmers & Merchants Bancorp more attractive for value investors.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Farmers & Merchants Bancorp more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 0.96.

You can read more about Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’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.

Hanmi Financial Corporation’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Hanmi Financial Corporation operates as the holding company for Hanmi Bank that provides business banking products and services in the United States. The company offers deposit products, including noninterest-bearing checking, negotiable order of withdrawal, savings, and money market accounts, as well as certificates of deposit. It also provides real estate loans, such as commercial property, construction, and residential property loans; and commercial and industrial loans comprising commercial term loan, and commercial lines of credit and international; equipment lease financing; and international finance and trade services and products, including letters of credit, and import and export financing. In addition, the company offers small business administration loans for business purposes, such as owner-occupied commercial real estate, business acquisitions, start-ups, franchise financing, working capital, improvements and renovations, inventory and equipment, and debt-refinancing. The company was founded in 1982 and is based in Los Angeles, 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.

Hanmi Financial Corporation has a Value Score of 67, which is considered to be undervalued.

Hanmi Financial Corporation’s price-earnings ratio is 10.4 compared to the industry median at 11.3. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Hanmi Financial Corporation more attractive for value investors.

Hanmi Financial Corporation’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Hanmi Financial Corporation less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 0.96.

You can read more about Hanmi 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.

Hilltop Holdings Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Hilltop Holdings Inc. provides business and consumer banking services. It operates through three segments: Banking, Broker-Dealer, and Mortgage Origination. The Banking segment offers savings, checking, interest-bearing checking, and money market accounts; certificates of deposit; lines and letters of credit, home improvement and equity loans, loans for purchasing and carrying securities, term, agricultural and commercial real estate, equipment loans, and other lending products; and mortgage, commercial and industrial loans, and term and construction finance. It provides treasury management, asset management, check cards, safe deposit boxes, online banking, bill pay, and overdraft privilege services; and estate planning, management and administration, investment portfolio management, employee benefit accounts, and individual retirement accounts services, as well as automated teller machines. The Broker-Dealer segment offers public finance services that assist public entities in originating, syndicating, and distributing securities of municipalities and political subdivisions; specialized advisory and investment banking services; advice and guidance to arbitrage rebate compliance, portfolio management, and local government investment pool administration; advisory services and products for derivatives and commodities; agricultural insurance; and sells, trades in, and underwrites U.S. government and government agency bonds, corporate bonds, and municipal bonds; mortgage-backed, asset-backed, and commercial mortgage-backed securities and structured products; and provides asset and liability management advisory, clearing, retail, and securities lending services. The Mortgage Origination segment offers fixed and adjustable rate mortgages, jumbo, new construction, Federal Housing Administration, Veterans Affairs, and United States Department of Agriculture loans. Hilltop Holdings Inc. was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

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.

Hilltop Holdings Inc. has a Value Score of 74, which is considered to be undervalued.

Hilltop Holdings Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 17.4 compared to the industry median at 11.3. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Hilltop Holdings Inc. less attractive for value investors.

Hilltop Holdings Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Hilltop Holdings Inc. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 0.96.

You can read more about Hilltop 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.

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 5 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.

• Axos Financial, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Popular, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Farmers & Merchants Bancorp stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Hanmi Financial Corporation stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Hilltop Holdings Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.

Now that you have a bit more background about each of the 5 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.

• 5 Undervalued Banks Stocks for Friday, March 14
• 4 Undervalued Banks Stocks for Thursday, March 13
• Which Is a Better Investment, Ameris Bancorp or BOK Financial Corporation Stock?
• Which Is a Better Investment, Atlantic Union Bankshares Corporation or BOK Financial Corporation Stock?

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.