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 Business Support Services 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.

Latest Business Support Services Stock News

Before choosing which top Business Support Services stock to buy, be sure to conduct proper due diligence: analyze various financial metrics and look at historical data, public statements and news coverage.

The fundamental outlook for the business support services industry is neutral. Participants across the sub-industry carry out a wide scope of applications, including payments for goods and services, human resource (HR) payroll processing, and outsourcing. A variety of factors including inflation, pandemic-related impacts and geopolitical tensions have created a difficult set of obstacles for companies to maneuver. However, companies have largely recovered from pandemic-related impacts. Companies overly exposed to consumer groups have experienced larger inflationary pressures. Contractionary measures such as the Federal Reserve continuing to raise interest rates could further dampen consumer spending. It will be important that no other exogenous events emerge, such as intensified geopolitical conflicts disrupting the ongoing recovery in TPV (third party verification), employment levels, etc. Underlying payment economics likely flip to tailwinds as value-added services (VAS) revenue lines help fill the void and provide a “cushion” for upside, especially if other verticals or regions temporarily relax in the interim.

Why Focus on Undervalued Business Support Services 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 Business Support Services 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 Business Support Services industry for Monday, February 13, 2023. Let’s take a closer look at their individual scores to see how they measure up against each other and the Business Support Services 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.

Air Lease Corp’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Air Lease Corporation is an aircraft leasing company. The Company is engaged in purchasing new commercial jet aircraft directly from manufacturers, such as The Boeing Company (Boeing) and Airbus S.A.S (Airbus), and leases these aircraft to airlines throughout the world with the intention to generate returns on equity. In addition to its leasing activities, it sells aircraft from its operating lease portfolio to third parties, including other leasing companies, financial services companies, airlines, and other investors. The Company also provides fleet management services to investors and owners of aircraft portfolios for a management fee. The Company owns a fleet of approximately 354 aircraft in its operating lease portfolio, manages approximately 89 aircraft and has 338 aircraft on order with aircraft manufacturers and approximately 24 aircraft purchase options.

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.

Air Lease Corp has a Value Score of 84, which is considered to be undervalued.

When you look at Air Lease Corp’s price-to-sales ratio at 2.08 compared to the industry median at 2.03, this company has a higher price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make Air Lease Corp’s stock less attractive for value investors.

Now, let’s assess Air Lease Corp’s EV/EBITDA ratio, also known as enterprise multiple. At 9.8, when compared to the industry median of 11.7, the company may be considered undervalued in relation to its peers. Value investors could use the enterprise multiple to identify stocks that are considered overvalued or undervalued relative to their industry.

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. Air Lease Corp’s shareholder yield is higher than its industry median ratio of 0.00%. 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. Air Lease Corp’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 2.49. This could make Air Lease Corp more attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.

Lastly, let’s take a look at Air Lease Corp’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio (P/FCF), which can indicate a company’s market value relative to its operating cash flow. Air Lease Corp’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 20.01. This could make Air Lease Corp more attractive because the lower P/FCF ratio indicates that Air Lease 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.

American Shared Hospital Services’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

American Shared Hospital Services is a provider of turnkey technology solutions for stereotactic radiosurgery and advanced radiation therapy equipment and services. The Company is a provider of Gamma Knife radiosurgery equipment, a non-invasive treatment for malignant and benign brain tumors, vascular malformations, and trigeminal neuralgia (facial pain). It can be an adjunct to conventional brain surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Typically, Gamma Knife patients resume their pre-surgical activities one or two days after treatment. The Company also offers proton therapy, and the IGRT, IMRT and MR/LINAC systems. The Company provides Gamma Knife units to approximately 12 medical centers in 11 states in the United States and two Gamma Knife units at stand-alone facilities in Lima, Peru and Guayaquil, Ecuador. The Company’s subsidiaries include American Shared Radiosurgery Services (ASRS), OR21, Inc. and MedLeader.com, Inc. (MedLeader).

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.

American Shared Hospital Services has a Value Score of 83, which is considered to be undervalued.

American Shared Hospital Services’s price-earnings ratio is 15.6 compared to the industry median at 23.2. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes American Shared Hospital Services more attractive for value investors.

American Shared Hospital Services’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make American Shared Hospital Services less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 2.49.

You can read more about American Shared Hospital Services’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.

Atento SA’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Atento S.A. is a provider of customer relationship management and business process outsourcing services (CRM/BPO). The Company offers a portfolio of CRM BPO services, including customer care, sales, collections, back office, and technical support. The Company's activities are divided into three segments corresponding to its geographical presence in the world: Brazil, America, and EMEA. America includes subsidiaries in Latin America and EMEA in Spain, Colombia, and Marocco. Its services and solutions are delivered across multiple channels including digital (short message service (SMS), e-mail, chats, social media, and applications, among others) and voice, and are enabled by process design, technology, and intelligence functions. The Company also has client relationships across a range of industries working in sectors, such as telecommunications, banking and financial services, and multi-sector, which comprise the consumer goods, services, public administration, pay television, health

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.

Atento SA has a Value Score of 77, which is considered to be undervalued.

You can read more about Atento SA’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.

36Kr Holdings Inc - ADR’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

36Kr Holdings Inc. is a company that provides clients with new economy-focused business services, including online advertising services, enterprise value-added services and subscription services. The Company provides reports on companies, market updates, editorials and commentaries, and introduces some startup companies to the investment community. The Company offer services either through agencies or directly to the end customers. The Company operates its businesses primarily in the domestic market.

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.

36Kr Holdings Inc - ADR has a Value Score of 81, which is considered to be undervalued.

36Kr Holdings Inc - ADR’s price-earnings ratio is 6.0 compared to the industry median at 23.2. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes 36Kr Holdings Inc - ADR more attractive for value investors.

36Kr Holdings Inc - ADR’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make 36Kr Holdings Inc - ADR less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 2.49.

You can read more about 36Kr Holdings Inc - ADR’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.

Textainer Group Holdings Limited’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Textainer Group Holdings Limited is a holding company. The Company is involved in the purchase, management, leasing and resale of a fleet of marine cargo containers. The Company operates in three segments: Container Ownership, Container Management and Container Resale. The Containers Ownership consist primarily of dry freight containers, but also include refrigerated and other special-purpose containers. The Container Management segment manages a fleet of containers for and on behalf of unaffiliated container investors, providing acquisition, management, and disposal services. The Container Resale segment sell containers from its fleet when they reach the end of their useful lives in marine services and also purchase and lease or resell containers from shipping line customers, container traders and other sellers of containers. The Company also supplies dry freight, specialized, and refrigerated containers to approximately 200 global customers, including shipping lines.

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.

Textainer Group Holdings Limited has a Value Score of 87, which is considered to be undervalued.

Textainer Group Holdings Limited’s price-earnings ratio is 5.4 compared to the industry median at 23.2. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Textainer Group Holdings Limited more attractive for value investors.

Textainer Group Holdings Limited’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Textainer Group Holdings Limited less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 2.49.

You can read more about Textainer Group Holdings Limited’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 Union Co’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

The Western Union Company is a provider of money movement and payment services. The Company’s segments include Consumer-to-Consumer and Business Solutions. The Consumer-to-Consumer operating segment facilitates money transfers that are sent from retail agent locations worldwide or through Websites and mobile devices, including digital money transfer services. Its money transfer service is provided through one interconnected global network and these services are available for international cross-border transfers and, in certain countries, intra-country transfers. The Business Solutions segment facilitates payment and foreign exchange solutions, primarily cross-border, cross-currency transactions, for small and medium-sized enterprises, and other organizations and individuals. Its other segment primarily includes its bill payment services, which facilitate payments from consumers to businesses and other organizations.

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 Union Co has a Value Score of 77, which is considered to be undervalued.

Western Union Co’s price-earnings ratio is 6.0 compared to the industry median at 23.2. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Western Union Co more attractive for value investors.

Western Union Co’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Western Union Co more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 2.49.

You can read more about Western Union Co’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 Business Support Services 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 Business Support Services stocks as well as other industrys.

Choosing Which of the 6 Best Business Support Services 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.

• Air Lease Corp stock has a Value Grade of A.
• American Shared Hospital Services stock has a Value Grade of A.
• Atento SA stock has a Value Grade of B.
• 36Kr Holdings Inc - ADR stock has a Value Grade of A.
• Textainer Group Holdings Limited stock has a Value Grade of A.
• Western Union Co stock has a Value Grade of B.

Now that you have a bit more background about each of the 6 undervalued stocks in the Business Support Services 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 Business Support Services Stocks

Want to learn more about Business Support Services stocks to see if they could be the right investment for you? Check out some additional resources and articles to help you on your financial journey.

• 6 Undervalued Business Support Services Stocks for Monday, February 13
• Which Is a Better Investment, Evertec Inc or First Advantage Corp Stock?
• Which Is a Better Investment, First Advantage Corp or Ritchie Bros Auctioneers Inc Stock?
• 3 Undervalued Business Support Services Stocks for Friday, February 10

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