Based on key financial metrics such as the price-to-sales ratio, shareholder yield and the price-earnings ratio, the following 5 stocks made the list for top value stocks in the Banks industry. Those looking for value stocks to add to their portfolio may want to use this list as a starting point for further investment research.

Why Focus on Undervalued Banks Stocks?

Value investors seek to buy stocks at a discount to their intrinsic value. Long-term returns show that such strategies are advantageous. Value stocks, as a group, tend to outperform growth stocks over extended periods of time. Typically, value investors perform financial analysis of numerous metrics, don’t follow the herd and are long-term investors.

AAII’s A+ Investor Value Grade is derived from a stock’s Value Score. The Value Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of the price-to-sales ratio, price-earnings ratio, enterprise-value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio, shareholder yield, price-to-book-value ratio and price-to-free-cash-flow ratio. The score is variable, meaning it can consider all six ratios or, should any of the six ratios not be valid, the remaining ratios that are valid. To be assigned a Value Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) ratio and corresponding ranking for at least two of the six valuation ratios.

What Goes Into AAII’s Value Grade?

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data as well as the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movement. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors with that task.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A–F grades for more than just value. It is possible for a stock to appear cheap based on one valuation metric but appear expensive on another. It is also possible for one valuation ratio to be associated with outperforming stocks during certain periods of time but not others. Some stocks may even have null values for certain metrics like the price-earnings ratio or the price-to-book ratio but not others. An example of this would be a company with losses instead of profits or a negative book value because of heavy borrowing. Negative earnings or book value result in non-meaningful ratios that are left blank or null.

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5 Undervalued Banks Stocks

Of course, there are countless value stocks that are worth mentioning, but this is a concise list of the top 5 undervalued stocks in the Banks industry for Thursday, January 01, 2026. 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.

Burke & Herbert Financial Services Corp.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Burke & Herbert Financial Services Corp. operates as the bank holding company for Burke & Herbert Bank & Trust Company that provides various community banking products and services in Virginia and Maryland. The company offers consumer and commercial deposit products, such as digital banking, demand, negotiable order of withdrawal (NOW), money market, and savings accounts; and certificates of deposit. It also provides loans comprising commercial real estate, single family residential, owner-occupied commercial real estate, commercial and industrial, residential mortgage, and consumer non-real estate and other loans, as well as acquisition, construction, and development loans. In addition, it offers cash management services; online and mobile banking; and wealth and trust services. Further, the company provides business solutions, including small business and commercial checking and savings options; investment services; and treasury management solutions consist of a suite of digital banking, payables, receivables, and risk management, as well as automated cash flow comprising enhanced reporting, automated clearing house (ACH), wires, remote deposit capture, bill pay, lockbox, credit and debit cards, merchant services, fraud protection, and deposit and loan sweeps. Burke & Herbert Financial Services Corp. was founded in 1852 and is headquartered in Alexandria, 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.

Burke & Herbert Financial Services Corp. has a Value Score of 84, which is considered to be undervalued.

When you look at Burke & Herbert Financial Services Corp.’s price-to-sales ratio at 2.82 compared to the industry median at 3.16, this company has a lower price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make Burke & Herbert Financial Services Corp.’s stock more attractive for value investors.

Burke & Herbert Financial Services Corp.’s price-earnings ratio is 8.80 compared to the industry median at 12.30. This means it has a lower share price relative to earnings compared to its peers. This could make Burke & Herbert Financial Services Corp. 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. Burke & Herbert Financial Services Corp.’s shareholder yield is higher than its industry median ratio of 2.50%. 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. Burke & Herbert Financial Services Corp.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its industry median ratio of 1.11. This could make Burke & Herbert Financial Services Corp. less attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.

Lastly, let’s take a look at Burke & Herbert Financial Services Corp.’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio (P/FCF), which can indicate a company’s market value relative to its operating cash flow. Burke & Herbert Financial Services Corp.’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 14.70. This could make Burke & Herbert Financial Services Corp. more attractive because the lower P/FCF ratio indicates that Burke & Herbert Financial Services 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.

Bankwell Financial Group, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Bankwell Bank that provides various banking services for individual and commercial customers. It offers various traditional depository products, including checking, savings, money market, and certificates of deposit. The company also provides first mortgage loans secured by one-to-four family owner occupied residential properties for personal use; home equity loans and home equity lines of credit secured by owner occupied one-to-four family residential properties; loans secured by commercial real estate, multi-family dwellings, owner-occupied commercial real estate, and investor-owned one-to-four family dwellings; commercial construction loans for commercial development projects, including apartment buildings and condominiums, as well as office buildings, retail, and other income producing properties; land loans; commercial business loans secured by assignments of corporate assets and personal guarantees of the business owners; loans to finance insurance premiums; overdraft lines of credit; and personal loans. It operates branches in New Canaan, Stamford, Fairfield, Westport, Darien, Norwalk, and Hamden, Connecticut. The company was formerly known as BNC Financial Group, Inc. and changed its name to Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. in September 2013. Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in New Canaan, 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.

Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. has a Value Score of 64, which is considered to be undervalued.

Bankwell Financial Group, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 12.5 compared to the industry median at 12.3. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. less attractive for value investors.

Bankwell Financial Group, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.11.

You can read more about Bankwell Financial Group, 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.

First Mid Bancshares, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

First Mid Bancshares, Inc., a financial holding company, provides community banking products and services to commercial, retail, and agricultural customers in the United States. It accepts various deposit products, such as demand deposits, savings accounts, money market deposits, and time deposits. The company’s loan products include commercial real estate, commercial and industrial, agricultural and agricultural real estate, residential real estate owner and non-owner occupied, and consumer loans, as well as construction and land development, 1-4 family residential properties, and multifamily residential properties loans; and other loans comprising loans to municipalities to support community projects, such as infrastructure improvements or equipment purchases. It also offers wealth management services, which include estate planning and investment services to individuals; employee benefit services for businesses; and farm management and brokerage services. In addition, the company provides property and casualty, senior insurance products, and group medical insurance for businesses; and personal lines insurance to individuals. The company was formerly known as First Mid-Illinois Bancshares, Inc. and changed its name to First Mid Bancshares, Inc. in April 2019. First Mid Bancshares, Inc. was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in Mattoon, 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.

First Mid Bancshares, Inc. has a Value Score of 82, which is considered to be undervalued.

First Mid Bancshares, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 10.7 compared to the industry median at 12.3. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes First Mid Bancshares, Inc. more attractive for value investors.

First Mid Bancshares, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make First Mid Bancshares, Inc. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.11.

You can read more about First Mid Bancshares, 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.

Fulton Financial Corporation’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Fulton Financial Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Fulton Bank that provides banking and financial products and services in the United States. It provides various checking accounts and savings deposit products, and certificates of deposit. The company also offers consumer loans products, including home equity loans and lines of credit; construction and jumbo residential mortgage loans; automobile, student, and personal loans; account overdraft protection; commercial lending products comprising commercial real estate, commercial and industrial, and construction loans, as well as equipment lease financing loans. In addition, it offers letters of credit, cash management services, and traditional deposit products; and wealth management services, including investment management, trust, brokerage, insurance, and investment advisory services. Further, the company owns trust preferred securities; and sells various life insurance products. It provides its products and services through financial center locations, as well as through a network of automated teller machines, telephone banking, mobile banking, and online banking. Fulton Financial Corporation was founded in 1882 and is headquartered in Lancaster, 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.

Fulton Financial Corporation has a Value Score of 70, which is considered to be undervalued.

Fulton Financial Corporation’s price-earnings ratio is 10.1 compared to the industry median at 12.3. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Fulton Financial Corporation more attractive for value investors.

Fulton Financial Corporation’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Fulton Financial Corporation fairly attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.11.

You can read more about Fulton 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.

Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

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 85, which is considered to be undervalued.

Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp.’s price-earnings ratio is 13.2 compared to the industry median at 12.3. 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. fairly attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.11.

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.

Other Banks Stock Grades

Value is just one of the five Stock Grades included in our A+ Investor service. AAII members can see the top-graded stocks—those with grades of A or B for value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality—on the A+ Stock Grades Screener.

Also, if you want full access to all of AAII’s premium services, you can subscribe to one convenient bundled plan called AAII Platinum where you can try out A+ Investor, AAII Dividend Investing, the Stock Superstars Report, Growth Investing and VMQ Stocks. With the other premium services, you can dive deep into additional metrics, portfolios, commentary and information about Banks stocks as well as other industrys.

Choosing Which of the 5 Best Banks Stocks Is Right for You

Choosing which value stocks to invest in will ultimately depend on your individual goals and allocation; however, comparing similar value stocks in the same industry can help you analyze which might be better investments for you in the long run. So, let’s take a look at the Value Grade for all of our stocks.

• Burke & Herbert Financial Services Corp. stock has a Value Grade of A.
• Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
• First Mid Bancshares, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of A.
• Fulton Financial Corporation stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. stock has a Value Grade of A.

Now that you have a bit more background about each of the 5 undervalued stocks in the Banks industry as well as their overall grades, it’s time for you to conduct additional research to see if these could fit your portfolio needs based on your goals and risk tolerance. AAII can help you figure out both and identify which investments align with what works best for you.

We do so through a program of education that teaches you to invest for yourself and become an effective manager of your own wealth—no more relying on others for your financial independence. You can rely on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis that makes you a better investor.

A+ Investor adds to that qualitative teaching by giving you a powerful data suite that helps you whittle down investment decisions to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

Additional Resources About Banks Stocks

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

• 5 Undervalued Banks Stocks for Thursday, January 01
• Is Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. (BBVA) Overvalued?
• Is Banco Santander, S.A. (SAN) Overvalued?
• Is Bank of America Corporation (BAC) Overvalued?

AAII Disclaimer

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