Based on key financial metrics such as the price-to-sales ratio, shareholder yield and the price-earnings ratio, the following 7 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.

7 Undervalued Banks Stocks

Of course, there are countless value stocks that are worth mentioning, but this is a concise list of the top 7 undervalued stocks in the Banks industry for Monday, September 22, 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.

Central Pacific Financial Corp.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Central Pacific Financial Corp. operates as the bank holding company for Central Pacific Bank that provides a range of commercial banking products and services to businesses, professionals, and individuals in the United States. The company offers various deposit products and services, including checking, savings and time deposits, cash management and digital banking, trust, and retail brokerage services, as well as money market accounts and certificates of deposit. It also provides various lending activities, such as commercial, commercial and residential mortgage, home equity, and consumer loans; and other products and services comprising debit cards, internet and mobile banking, cash management services, full-service ATMs, safe deposit boxes, international banking services, night depository facilities, foreign exchange, and wire transfers. In addition, the company offers wealth management products and services that include non-deposit investment products, annuities, insurance, investment management, asset custody and general consultation, and planning services. Central Pacific Financial Corp. was founded in 1954 and is headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii.

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.

Central Pacific Financial Corp. has a Value Score of 69, which is considered to be undervalued.

When you look at Central Pacific Financial Corp.’s price-to-sales ratio at 3.30 compared to the industry median at 3.17, this company has a higher price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make Central Pacific Financial Corp.’s stock less attractive for value investors.

Central Pacific Financial Corp.’s price-earnings ratio is 13.80 compared to the industry median at 12.50. This means it has a higher share price relative to earnings compared to its peers. This could make Central Pacific Financial Corp. 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. Central Pacific Financial Corp.’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. Central Pacific Financial Corp.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its industry median ratio of 1.09. This could make Central Pacific Financial Corp. less attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.

Lastly, let’s take a look at Central Pacific Financial Corp.’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio (P/FCF), which can indicate a company’s market value relative to its operating cash flow. Central Pacific Financial Corp.’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 15.80. This could make Central Pacific Financial Corp. more attractive because the lower P/FCF ratio indicates that Central Pacific Financial Corp. 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 Merchants Corporation’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

First Merchants Corporation operates as the financial holding company for First Merchants Bank that provides commercial and consumer banking services. The company offers a range of financial services, including checking, savings, and deposit products; debit and credit cards; mortgages, home equity lending, vehicle loans, and personal loans; and local commercial lending, asset-based lending solutions, agricultural lending, commercial real estate solutions, debt capital markets, practice finance, public finance, small business administration lending, and sponsor finance services. It also provides personal and commercial wealth management services, trust services, retirement planning, brokerage, investment management, private banking, fiduciary estate, and financial planning services. The company operates banking locations in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan counties. It offers its services through electronic and mobile delivery channels. First Merchants Corporation was founded in 1893 and is headquartered in Muncie, 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.

First Merchants Corporation has a Value Score of 80, which is considered to be undervalued.

First Merchants Corporation’s price-earnings ratio is 10.5 compared to the industry median at 12.5. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes First Merchants Corporation more attractive for value investors.

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

You can read more about First Merchants 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.

Old Second Bancorp, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Old Second Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Old Second National Bank that provides community banking services in the United States. The company offers deposit products, including consumer and business checking, NOW, money market, savings, and other time deposit accounts, as well as certificates of deposit and individual retirement accounts. It also offers lending products, such as commercial and industrial loans; commercial real estate loans; multifamily loans; construction and development loans; residential real estate loans, such as residential first mortgage and second mortgage loans; home equity lines of credit; consumer loans, including motor vehicle, home improvement, and signature loans; installment and agricultural loans; lease financing receivables and overdraft checking; and safe deposit operations. In addition, the company provides online and mobile banking; corporate cash management products, including remote and mobile deposits capture, investment sweep accounts, zero balance accounts, automated tax payments, automatic teller machines access, telephone banking, lockbox accounts, automated clearing house transactions, account reconciliation, controlled disbursement, detail and general information reporting, foreign and domestic wire transfers, and vault services for currency and coin; and investment, agency, and custodial services for individual, corporate, and not-for-profit clients. The company was founded in 1871 and is headquartered in Aurora, Illinois.

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.

Old Second Bancorp, Inc. has a Value Score of 79, which is considered to be undervalued.

Old Second Bancorp, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 9.8 compared to the industry median at 12.5. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Old Second Bancorp, Inc. more attractive for value investors.

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

You can read more about Old Second 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.

Pioneer Bancorp, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Pioneer Bancorp, Inc. operates as a holding company for Pioneer Bank, National Association that provides various banking products and services in New York. It accepts various deposit accounts, such as demand, savings, and money market accounts, as well as certificates of deposit. The company’s loan products include commercial real estate, commercial and industrial, commercial construction, residential mortgage, and consumer loans; and home equity loans and lines of credit. It also invests in securities, including U.S. treasury securities, fixed-rate mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations, fixed-rate investment grade bonds, and corporate debt securities. In addition, the company offers personal and commercial insurance products, including homeowners, automobile, and comprehensive business insurance; employee benefit products and consulting services, such as group health, dental, disability, and life insurance products; defined contribution and benefit administration, and human resource management services; and wealth management services comprising investment advice, retirement income planning, estate planning, business succession, and employer retirement planning. Pioneer Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1889 and is based in Albany, New York. Pioneer Bancorp, Inc. is a subsidiary of Pioneer Bancorp MHC.

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.

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

Pioneer Bancorp, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 14.6 compared to the industry median at 12.5. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Pioneer Bancorp, Inc. less attractive for value investors.

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

You can read more about Pioneer 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.

Preferred Bank’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Preferred Bank provides various banking products and services to small and mid-sized businesses, entrepreneurs, real estate developers, professionals, and high net worth individuals. The company accepts checking, savings, and money market deposit accounts; fixed-rate and fixed maturity retail, and non-retail certificates of deposit; and individual retirement accounts. It also provides real estate mortgage loans that are secured by retail, industrial, office, special purpose, and residential single and multi-family properties; real estate construction loans; commercial loans, including lines of credit for working capital, term loans for capital expenditures, and commercial and stand-by letters of credit; and 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. In addition, the company offers trade finance services, including commercial and export letters of credit, import lines of credit, documentary collections, international wire transfers, acceptances/trust receipt financing products, export financing, and bills purchase programs. Further, it provides cash management services; and internet, mobile, and tablet banking services. The company was incorporated in 1991 and is headquartered 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.

Preferred Bank has a Value Score of 80, which is considered to be undervalued.

Preferred Bank’s price-earnings ratio is 9.8 compared to the industry median at 12.5. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Preferred Bank more attractive for value investors.

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

You can read more about Preferred 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.

Univest Financial Corporation’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Univest Financial Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Univest Bank and Trust Co. that provides banking services in the United States. It operates through three segments: Banking, Wealth Management, and Insurance. The Banking segment offers financial services to individuals, businesses, municipalities, and non-profit organizations, including deposit taking, loan origination and servicing, mortgage banking, other general banking services, and equipment lease financing. The Wealth Management segment provides investment advisory, financial planning and trust, and brokerage services for private families and individuals, municipal pension plans, retirement plans, trusts, and guardianships. The Insurance segment offers full-service insurance brokerage agency comprising commercial property and casualty insurance, employee benefit solutions, personal insurance lines, and human resources consulting services. The company was formerly known as Univest Corporation of Pennsylvania and changed its name to Univest Financial Corporation in January 2019. Univest Financial Corporation was founded in 1876 and is headquartered in Souderton, 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.

Univest Financial Corporation has a Value Score of 81, which is considered to be undervalued.

Univest Financial Corporation’s price-earnings ratio is 11.4 compared to the industry median at 12.5. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Univest Financial Corporation more attractive for value investors.

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

You can read more about Univest 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.

Webster Financial Corporation’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Webster Financial Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Webster Bank, National Association that provides various financial products and services to businesses, individuals, and families in the United States. It operates through three segments: Commercial Banking, Healthcare Financial Services, and Consumer Banking. It offers checking, savings, and money market accounts; individual retirement account retirement savings; certificates of deposit; mortgages; home equity loans and lines of credit; business and commercial lines of credit; overdrafts; and term, commercial, student, SBA, and personal loans. The company also provides commercial real estate financing, equipment and lender finance, asset-based and community lending, and public finance solutions; financial planning, life and long-term insurance, personal retirement, and portfolio management solutions; employee retirement plans; credit cards; payroll services; automated clearing house payables and wires; bill pay, remote deposit capture, merchant, and lockbox services; treasury management and investment services; private banking services; capital markets and finance solutions; employee benefits solutions, including administrators of HSAs, emergency savings accounts, and flexible spending accounts administration services; wealth management services; and online and mobile banking services. Webster Financial Corporation was founded in 1870 and is headquartered in Stamford, 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.

Webster Financial Corporation has a Value Score of 76, which is considered to be undervalued.

Webster Financial Corporation’s price-earnings ratio is 12.5 compared to the industry median at 12.5. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Webster Financial Corporation fairly attractive for value investors.

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

You can read more about Webster 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.

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 7 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.

• Central Pacific Financial Corp. stock has a Value Grade of B.
• First Merchants Corporation stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Old Second Bancorp, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Pioneer Bancorp, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Preferred Bank stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Univest Financial Corporation stock has a Value Grade of A.
• Webster Financial Corporation stock has a Value Grade of B.

Now that you have a bit more background about each of the 7 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.

• 7 Undervalued Banks Stocks for Monday, September 22
• 3 Undervalued Banks Stocks for Friday, September 19
• Does Eagle Financial Services, Inc. (EFSI) Have Momentum?
• Why Banco Macro S.A.’s (BMA) Stock Is Down 5.19%

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.