6 Undervalued Banks Stocks for Thursday, May 08

By Jenna Brashear
May 08, 2025
Diamond graphic indicating best value stocks in their industry
Featured Tickers:

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.

Click the button below to learn more about A+ Investor and subscribe today.

Learn More About A+ Investor

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 Thursday, May 08, 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.

Company Ticker Price/Sales Price/Earnings EV/EBITDA Shareholder Yield Price/Book Value Price/Free Cash Flow Value Grade
Columbia Banking System, Inc. COLB 2.67 9.9 na 5.9% 0.95 15.1 B
FFB Bancorp FFBB 2.29 6.9 na 0.1% 1.40 na B
Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach FMBL 2.67 14.8 na 2.7% 0.52 na B
Primis Financial Corp. FRST 2.14 na na 4.5% 0.59 25.6 B
TriCo Bancshares TCBK 3.32 11.4 na 4.3% 1.06 21.0 B
Western Alliance Bancorporation WAL 2.54 9.8 na 1.8% 1.16 na B

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.

Columbia Banking System, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score COLB Industry Median
Price/Sales 63 2.67 2.84
Price/Earnings 21 9.9 11.2
EV/EBITDA na na 0.0
Shareholder Yield 14 5.9% 2.9%
Price/Book Value 33 0.95 0.95
Price/Free Cash Flow 40 15.1 15.1

Columbia Banking System, Inc. operates as the Bank holding company of Umpqua Bank that provides banking, private banking, mortgage, and other financial services in the United States. The company offers deposit products, including business, non-interest-bearing checking, interest-bearing checking and savings, and money market; and insured cash sweep and other investment sweep solutions. It also provides commercial lending products, such as commercial lines of credit and term loans, accounts receivable and inventory financing, international trade finance, commercial property loans, multifamily loans, equipment loans, commercial equipment leases, and real estate construction loans; and permanent financing and small business administration program financing, as well as capital markets. In addition, the company offers wealth management comprising financial planning, investment, trust, and insurance; and treasury management, which includes digital and mobile banking solutions, ACH, wires, positive pay, remote deposit capture, integrated payments, integrated receivables, lockbox, cash vault, real-time payments, commercial card, and foreign exchange and international banking related products, as well as merchant services. Further, it provides residential real estate loans and consumer loans. It serves its products to corporate, institutional, small business, and individual customers. The company was founded in 1953 and is based in Tacoma, Washington.

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.

Columbia Banking System, Inc. has a Value Score of 76, which is considered to be undervalued.

When you look at Columbia Banking System, Inc.’s price-to-sales ratio at 2.67 compared to the industry median at 2.84, this company has a lower price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make Columbia Banking System, Inc.’s stock more attractive for value investors.

Columbia Banking System, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 9.90 compared to the industry median at 11.20. This means it has a lower share price relative to earnings compared to its peers. This could make Columbia Banking System, 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. Columbia Banking System, 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. Columbia Banking System, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its industry median ratio of 0.95. This could make Columbia Banking System, Inc. fairly attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.

Lastly, let’s take a look at Columbia Banking System, Inc.’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio (P/FCF), which can indicate a company’s market value relative to its operating cash flow. Columbia Banking System, Inc.’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 15.15. This could make Columbia Banking System, Inc. more attractive because the lower P/FCF ratio indicates that Columbia Banking System, 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.

FFB Bancorp’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score FFBB Industry Median
Price/Sales 57 2.29 2.84
Price/Earnings 9 6.9 11.2
EV/EBITDA na na 0.0
Shareholder Yield 44 0.1% 2.9%
Price/Book Value 49 1.40 0.95
Price/Free Cash Flow na na 15.1

FFB Bancorp operates as a bank holding company for FFB Bank that provides various banking products and services for individuals and small and middle-market businesses in the United States. The company offers checking and savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts. It also provides residential real estate loans, commercial loans, small business loans, commercial real estate and construction loans, agricultural loans and lines of credit, farmer mac loans, and equipment leasing services. In addition, the company offers debit and credit cards; and online and mobile banking, online bill pay, cash management, remote deposit capture, and merchant services; and permanent and FFBridge multifamily financing, and broker resources, as well as business manager solutions. FFB Bancorp was formerly known as Communities First Financial Corporation and changed its name to FFB Bancorp in May 2023. The company was founded in 2005 and is based in Fresno, 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.

FFB Bancorp has a Value Score of 66, which is considered to be undervalued.

FFB Bancorp’s price-earnings ratio is 6.9 compared to the industry median at 11.2. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes FFB Bancorp more attractive for value investors.

FFB Bancorp’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make FFB Bancorp more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 0.95.

You can read more about FFB 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.

Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score FMBL Industry Median
Price/Sales 63 2.67 2.84
Price/Earnings 41 14.8 11.2
EV/EBITDA na na 0.0
Shareholder Yield 29 2.7% 2.9%
Price/Book Value 15 0.52 0.95
Price/Free Cash Flow na na 15.1

Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach provides various banking products and services to individuals, professionals, and small to medium-sized businesses in the Los Angeles, Orange, and Santa Barbara Counties of the United States. The company offers checking, savings, Christmas club savings, health savings, market rate savings, and money market accounts; demand and time deposits; certificates of deposit accounts; youth accounts; and individual retirement accounts. It also provides personal home, commercial real estate, real estate and construction, commercial business, equipment, and small business administration loans, as well as lines of credit, and loans secured by inventory and receivables; financing for residential loans comprising single-family and multifamily loans; and credit and debit cards. In addition, the company offers treasury management services comprising account management, receivables and payables, and risk management services; commercial and industrial lending services; and faith-based and healthcare banking services, as well as online and mobile banking services. Further, it provides digital banking services, such as cash management features, send money, automated clearing house, direct connect, credit score monitoring, and bank-by-text services. Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in Long Beach, 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 Bank of Long Beach has a Value Score of 71, which is considered to be undervalued.

Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach’s price-earnings ratio is 14.8 compared to the industry median at 11.2. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach less attractive for value investors.

Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 0.95.

You can read more about Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach’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.

Primis Financial Corp.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score FRST Industry Median
Price/Sales 55 2.14 2.84
Price/Earnings na na 11.2
EV/EBITDA na na 0.0
Shareholder Yield 19 4.5% 2.9%
Price/Book Value 18 0.59 0.95
Price/Free Cash Flow 61 25.6 15.1

Primis Financial Corp. operates as the bank holding company for Primis Bank that provides various financial services to individuals, and small and medium sized businesses in the United States. The company offers deposit products, including checking, NOW, savings, and money market accounts, as well as certificates of deposits; and commercial deposit products comprising investment/sweep accounts, wire transfer services, employer services/payroll processing services, zero balance accounts, night depository services, depository transfers, merchant services, ACH originations, business debit cards, controlled disbursement accounts, and remote deposit capture services. It also provides commercial lending products, such as loans consist of lines of credit, revolving credit facilities, demand loans, term loans, equipment loans, SBA loans, stand-by letters of credit, and unsecured loans; loans for permanent financing; construction loans for commercial, multi-family, assisted living and other non-residential properties, and builder/developer lines; second asset based lending; SBA lending; financing for medical, dental, and veterinary businesses; and warehouse lending lines of credit to residential mortgage originators. In addition, the company provides consumer lending products comprising residential mortgage, home equity lines of credit, secured and unsecured personal loans, life insurance premium financing, and Panacea consumer loans. Further, it offers debit cards, ATM services, notary services, and mobile and online banking. The company was formerly known as Southern National Bancorp of Virginia, Inc. and changed its name to Primis Financial Corp. Primis Financial Corp. was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in McLean, Virginia.

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.

Primis Financial Corp. has a Value Score of 68, which is considered to be undervalued.

Primis Financial Corp.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Primis Financial Corp. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 0.95.

You can read more about Primis Financial Corp.’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.

TriCo Bancshares’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score TCBK Industry Median
Price/Sales 70 3.32 2.84
Price/Earnings 28 11.4 11.2
EV/EBITDA na na 0.0
Shareholder Yield 20 4.3% 2.9%
Price/Book Value 38 1.06 0.95
Price/Free Cash Flow 53 21.0 15.1

TriCo Bancshares operates as a bank holding company for Tri Counties Bank that provides commercial banking services to individual and corporate customers. The company accepts demand, savings, and time deposits; and offers checking, specialized, money market, education, health savings, certificate of deposit, and business and public funds savings accounts, as well as individual retirement accounts. It also offers small business loans; real estate mortgage loans, such as residential and commercial loans; consumer loans; mortgage, auto, and personal loans; commercial loans, including agricultural loans; motorcycle, RV, boat, and other vehicle loans; and real estate construction loans. In addition, the company provides treasury management services; credit and debit cards; other customary banking services, including safe deposit boxes; and independent financial and broker-dealer services. Further, it offers equipment financing, digital banking, overdraft, and payment processing services. TriCo Bancshares was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Chico, 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.

TriCo Bancshares has a Value Score of 62, which is considered to be undervalued.

TriCo Bancshares’s price-earnings ratio is 11.4 compared to the industry median at 11.2. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes TriCo Bancshares less attractive for value investors.

TriCo Bancshares’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make TriCo Bancshares more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 0.95.

You can read more about TriCo Bancshares’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.

Western Alliance Bancorporation’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score WAL Industry Median
Price/Sales 60 2.54 2.84
Price/Earnings 20 9.8 11.2
EV/EBITDA na na 0.0
Shareholder Yield 35 1.8% 2.9%
Price/Book Value 41 1.16 0.95
Price/Free Cash Flow na na 15.1

Western Alliance Bancorporation operates as the bank holding company for Western Alliance Bank that provides various banking products and related services primarily in Arizona, California, and Nevada. It operates through Commercial and Consumer Related segments. The company offers deposit products, including checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as fixed-rate and fixed maturity certificates of deposit accounts; demand deposits; and treasury management and residential mortgage products and services. It also provides commercial and industrial loan products, such as working capital lines of credit, loans to technology companies, inventory and accounts receivable lines, mortgage warehouse lines, equipment loans and leases, and other commercial loans; commercial real estate loans, which are secured by multi-family residential properties, professional offices, industrial facilities, retail centers, hotels, and other commercial properties; construction and land development loans for single family and multi-family residential projects, industrial/warehouse properties, office buildings, retail centers, medical office facilities, and residential lot developments; and consumer loans. In addition, the company offers other financial services, such as internet banking, wire transfers, electronic bill payment and presentment, funds transfer and other digital payment offerings, lock box services, courier, and cash management services. Further, the company holds certain investment securities, municipal and non-profit loans, and leases; invests primarily in low-income housing tax credits and small business investment corporations; and certain real estate loans and related securities. Western Alliance Bancorporation was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.

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.

Western Alliance Bancorporation has a Value Score of 67, which is considered to be undervalued.

Western Alliance Bancorporation’s price-earnings ratio is 9.8 compared to the industry median at 11.2. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Western Alliance Bancorporation more attractive for value investors.

Western Alliance Bancorporation’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Western Alliance Bancorporation more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 0.95.

You can read more about Western Alliance Bancorporation’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.

Learn More About 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.

  • Columbia Banking System, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
  • FFB Bancorp stock has a Value Grade of B.
  • Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach stock has a Value Grade of B.
  • Primis Financial Corp. stock has a Value Grade of B.
  • TriCo Bancshares stock has a Value Grade of B.
  • Western Alliance Bancorporation 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.

Learn More About A+ Investor

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.

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.



Find New Stock Opportunities With Included With AAII Platinum
High Relative Dividend
Yield Screen:
8.7% Compared to S&P 500
at only 6.9%

Since Inception. Data as of 12/31/2024.




Try AAII Platinum and get full access to
769.3% Stock Superstars Portfolio Total Return Since Inception
Compare to:
710.3% iShare DOW Jones
U.S. Index ETF (IYY)

SSR Group 3 O'Shaughnessy portfolio has a 411.2% gain since inception performance compared to IYY at only 119.1%% Performance as of 11/29/24.

Get your free copy of our special report analyzing the tech stocks most likely to outperform the market.

Download the FREE Report Here:

BECOME A MEMBER FOR ONLY $2

Get access to powerful investment discovery tools and a wealth of investment education to help you achieve your financial goals.