6 Undervalued Banks Stocks for Tuesday, September 09

By Tudor Pop
September 09, 2025
Diamond graphic indicating best value stocks in their industry
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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 Tuesday, September 09, 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
The Bank of Nova Scotia BNS 2.50 16.9 na 6.0% 1.31 5.8 B
First Bank FRBA 3.21 11.1 na 1.8% 0.99 13.4 B
Horizon Bancorp, Inc. HBNC 3.44 14.2 na 3.6% 0.93 na B
Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. MCB 3.17 13.0 na 6.3% 1.15 8.1 A
Bank OZK OZK 3.93 8.5 na 4.0% 1.06 10.9 A
Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation PGC 2.16 16.0 na 0.9% 0.81 12.7 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.

The Bank of Nova Scotia’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score BNS Industry Median
Price/Sales 56 2.50 3.14
Price/Earnings 42 16.9 12.4
EV/EBITDA na na 0.0
Shareholder Yield 12 6.0% 2.6%
Price/Book Value 36 1.31 1.09
Price/Free Cash Flow 11 5.8 15.4

The Bank of Nova Scotia provides various banking products and services in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Colombia, the Caribbean and Central America, and internationally. It operates through Canadian Banking, International Banking, Global Wealth Management, and Global Banking and Markets segments. The company offers financial advice and solutions, and banking products, including debit and credit cards, chequing and saving accounts, investments, mortgages, loans, and insurance to individuals; and retail automotive financing solutions. It also provides business banking solutions comprising lending, deposit, cash management, and trade finance solutions to small, medium, and large businesses. In addition, it provides wealth management advice and solutions, including online brokerage, mobile investment, full-service brokerage, trust, private banking, and private investment counsel services; and retail mutual funds, exchange traded funds, liquid alternatives, and institutional funds. The company was founded in 1832 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

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.

The Bank of Nova Scotia has a Value Score of 80, which is considered to be undervalued.

When you look at The Bank of Nova Scotia’s price-to-sales ratio at 2.50 compared to the industry median at 3.14, this company has a lower price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make The Bank of Nova Scotia’s stock more attractive for value investors.

The Bank of Nova Scotia’s price-earnings ratio is 16.90 compared to the industry median at 12.40. This means it has a higher share price relative to earnings compared to its peers. This could make The Bank of Nova Scotia less 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. The Bank of Nova Scotia’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. The Bank of Nova Scotia’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its industry median ratio of 1.09. This could make The Bank of Nova Scotia less attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.

Lastly, let’s take a look at The Bank of Nova Scotia’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio (P/FCF), which can indicate a company’s market value relative to its operating cash flow. The Bank of Nova Scotia’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 15.40. This could make The Bank of Nova Scotia more attractive because the lower P/FCF ratio indicates that The Bank of Nova Scotia 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.

First Bank’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score FRBA Industry Median
Price/Sales 65 3.21 3.14
Price/Earnings 21 11.1 12.4
EV/EBITDA na na 0.0
Shareholder Yield 33 1.8% 2.6%
Price/Book Value 23 0.99 1.09
Price/Free Cash Flow 32 13.4 15.4

First Bank provides various banking products and services to small and mid-sized businesses and individuals. It accepts various deposits, including non-interest- and interest-bearing demand deposits, money market accounts, savings accounts, and certificates of deposit, as well as commercial checking and cash management accounts. The company also offers various loan products, such as commercial and industrial loans, which include line of credit, inventory, equipment, and short-term working capital financing; commercial real estate loans comprising owner-occupied, investor, construction and development, and multi-family loans; residential real estate loans consisting of residential mortgages, first and second lien home equity loans, and revolving lines of credit; and consumer and other loans, such as auto, personal, traditional installment, and other loans. In addition, it provides electronic banking services, including Internet and mobile banking, electronic bill payment, and banking by phone; ATM and debit cards, and wire and ACH transfer services; remote deposit capture; and cash management services, as well as engages in the capital markets activities. The company operates full-service branches in Cinnaminson, Delanco, Denville, Ewing, Fairfield, Flemington, Hamilton, Lawrence, Monroe, Morristown, Pennington, Randolph, Somerset, Trenton, Williamstown, New Jersey; Coventry, Devon, Doylestown, Glen Mills, Lionville, Malvern, Paoli, Trevose, Warminster, and West Chester, Pennsylvania; and Palm Beach, Florida. First Bank was incorporated in 2007 and is headquartered in Hamilton, New Jersey.

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.

First Bank has a Value Score of 75, which is considered to be undervalued.

First Bank’s price-earnings ratio is 11.1 compared to the industry median at 12.4. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes First Bank more attractive for value investors.

First Bank’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make First Bank less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.09.

You can read more about First Bank’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.

Horizon Bancorp, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score HBNC Industry Median
Price/Sales 67 3.44 3.14
Price/Earnings 33 14.2 12.4
EV/EBITDA na na 0.0
Shareholder Yield 22 3.6% 2.6%
Price/Book Value 20 0.93 1.09
Price/Free Cash Flow na na 15.4

Horizon Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Horizon Bank that engages in the provision of commercial and retail banking services. The company offers checking, saving, money market, certificate of deposits, and time deposits, as well as non-interest- and interest-bearing demand deposits. It also provides commercial, residential real estate, mortgage warehouse Loans, consumer loans, land and home equity, auto, and agriculture loans. In addition, the company offers corporate and individual trust and agency, investment management, and real estate investment trust services; debit and credit cards; treasury management; trust and wealth management services; retirement plans; and sells various insurance products. It operates through full-service offices in northern and central Indiana and southern and central Michigan. Horizon Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1873 and is headquartered in Michigan City, Indiana.

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.

Horizon Bancorp, Inc. has a Value Score of 73, which is considered to be undervalued.

Horizon Bancorp, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 14.2 compared to the industry median at 12.4. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Horizon Bancorp, Inc. less attractive for value investors.

Horizon Bancorp, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Horizon Bancorp, Inc. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.09.

You can read more about Horizon 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.

Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score MCB Industry Median
Price/Sales 64 3.17 3.14
Price/Earnings 28 13.0 12.4
EV/EBITDA na na 0.0
Shareholder Yield 11 6.3% 2.6%
Price/Book Value 30 1.15 1.09
Price/Free Cash Flow 17 8.1 15.4

Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. operates as the bank holding company for Metropolitan Commercial Bank that provides a range of business, commercial, and retail banking products and services. The company offers checking, savings, term deposit, money market, non-interest-bearing demand deposit, and other time deposits. It also provides lending products, including commercial real estate; multi-family; construction; one-to four-family real estate loans; commercial and industrial loans; consumer loans, including purchased student loans; acquisition and renovation loans; loans to refinance or return borrower equity; loans on owner-occupied properties; working capital lines of credit; trade finance; letters of credit; and term loans. In addition, the company offers cash management services, as well as online and mobile banking, ACH, remote deposit capture, and debit cards products, as well as merchant services. It serves small businesses, middle-market enterprises, public entities, and individuals. The company was formerly known as Metbank Holding Corp. and changed its name to Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. in January 2007. Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. was incorporated in 1997 and is headquartered in New York, 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.

Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. has a Value Score of 83, which is considered to be undervalued.

Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp.’s price-earnings ratio is 13.0 compared to the industry median at 12.4. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. less attractive for value investors.

Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp.’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.09.

You can read more about Metropolitan Bank Holding 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.

Bank OZK’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score OZK Industry Median
Price/Sales 72 3.93 3.14
Price/Earnings 11 8.5 12.4
EV/EBITDA na na 0.0
Shareholder Yield 20 4.0% 2.6%
Price/Book Value 26 1.06 1.09
Price/Free Cash Flow 24 10.9 15.4

Bank OZK operates as a full-service Arkansas state-chartered bank that provides retail and commercial banking services in the United States. The company offers deposit services, including non-interest-bearing checking, interest bearing transaction, business sweep, savings, money market, individual retirement, and other accounts, as well as time and reciprocal deposits. It also provides trust and wealth services, such as personal trusts, custodial accounts, investment management accounts, and retirement accounts; corporate trust services that include trustee, paying agent and registered transfer agent services, and other related services; and treasury management services, which include automated clearing house, wire transfer, current and prior day transaction reporting, wholesale lockbox, remote deposit capture, automated credit line transfer, reconciliation, positive pay, commercial card, and other services, as well as zero balance and investment sweep accounts. In addition, the company offers real estate, consumer, small business, indirect recreational vehicle and marine, equipment, agricultural, commercial and industrial, government guaranteed, lines of credit, homebuilder, and housing loans; lender and structured, business aviation, and subscription financing services; and mortgage and other lending products. The company was formerly known as Bank of the Ozarks and changed its name to Bank OZK in July 2018. Bank OZK was founded in 1903 and is headquartered in Little Rock, 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.

Bank OZK has a Value Score of 82, which is considered to be undervalued.

Bank OZK’s price-earnings ratio is 8.5 compared to the industry median at 12.4. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Bank OZK more attractive for value investors.

Bank OZK’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Bank OZK fairly attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.09.

You can read more about Bank OZK’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.

Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score PGC Industry Median
Price/Sales 51 2.16 3.14
Price/Earnings 39 16.0 12.4
EV/EBITDA na na 0.0
Shareholder Yield 38 0.9% 2.6%
Price/Book Value 16 0.81 1.09
Price/Free Cash Flow 30 12.7 15.4

Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Peapack Private Bank & Trust that provides private banking and wealth management services in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Banking and Wealth Management. It offers checking and savings accounts, money market and interest-bearing checking accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts. The company also provides working capital lines of credit, term loans for fixed asset acquisitions, commercial mortgages, multi-family mortgages, and other forms of asset-based financing services; and residential mortgages, home equity lines of credit, and other second mortgage loans. In addition, it offers corporate and industrial (C&I;) lending and equipment finance, commercial real estate, multifamily, residential, and consumer lending activities; treasury management, C&I; advisory, escrow management, deposit generation, and investment management services; personal trust services, including services as executor, trustee, administrator, custodian, and guardian; and other financial planning, tax preparation, and advisory services. Further, the company provides telephone and Internet banking, merchant credit card, and customer support sales services. Its private banking clients include businesses, non-profits, and consumers; wealth management clients include individuals, families, foundations, endowments, trusts, and estates; and commercial loan clients include business owners, professionals, retailers, contractors, and real estate investors. The company operates its private banking locations in Bedminster, Morristown, Princeton, and Teaneck, New Jersey; and branches in Somerset, Morris, Hunterdon, and Union counties, as well as operates automated teller machines. Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation was founded in 1921 and is headquartered in Bedminster, New Jersey.

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.

Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation has a Value Score of 75, which is considered to be undervalued.

Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation’s price-earnings ratio is 16.0 compared to the industry median at 12.4. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation less attractive for value investors.

Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.09.

You can read more about Peapack-Gladstone 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.

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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.

  • The Bank of Nova Scotia stock has a Value Grade of B.
  • First Bank stock has a Value Grade of B.
  • Horizon Bancorp, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
  • Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. stock has a Value Grade of A.
  • Bank OZK stock has a Value Grade of A.
  • Peapack-Gladstone Financial 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.

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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.



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