Based on key financial metrics such as the price-to-sales ratio, shareholder yield and the price-earnings ratio, the following 3 stocks made the list for top value stocks in the Software 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 Software 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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3 Undervalued Software Stocks
Of course, there are countless value stocks that are worth mentioning, but this is a concise list of the top 3 undervalued stocks in the Software industry for Tuesday, March 03, 2026. Let’s take a closer look at their individual scores to see how they measure up against each other and the Software industry median.
| Company | Ticker | Price/Sales | Price/Earnings | EV/EBITDA | Shareholder Yield | Price/Book Value | Price/Free Cash Flow | Value Grade |
| Cheetah Mobile Inc. | CMCM | 0.19 | na | 3.4 | (5.1%) | 0.81 | na | A |
| Sprout Social, Inc. | SPT | 0.83 | na | na | (3.1%) | 1.90 | 9.7 | B |
| Zoom Communications, Inc. | ZM | 4.50 | 11.8 | 12.8 | 3.3% | 2.19 | 11.4 | 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.
Cheetah Mobile Inc.’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | CMCM | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 8 | 0.19 | 3.05 |
| Price/Earnings | na | na | 27.2 |
| EV/EBITDA | 6 | 3.4 | 22.7 |
| Shareholder Yield | 70 | (5.1%) | (3.6%) |
| Price/Book Value | 17 | 0.81 | 2.98 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | na | na | 20.8 |
Cheetah Mobile Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides internet services, artificial intelligence (AI), and other services in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Japan, and internationally. The company offers internet products that include Duba Anti-virus applications, such as anti-virus and anti-malware, K+ defense, system protection, online shopping protection, vulnerability fixing, and membership services; Yuanqi Wallpaper, including desktop beautification, wallpaper management, and wallpaper creation. Its AI and other offerings include delivery and reception robots, Global to B services, and AI-powered business applications. In addition, the company offers Duba.com, a personal start page; artificial intelligence technologies; image viewer; and office optimization software. It serves mobile advertising networks and partners, e-commerce companies, mobile application developers, and mobile game developers, as well as individual customers. The company was formerly known as Kingsoft Internet Software Holdings Limited and changed its name to Cheetah Mobile Inc. in March 2014. Cheetah Mobile Inc. was incorporated in 2009 and is based in Beijing, the People’s Republic of China.
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.
Cheetah Mobile Inc. has a Value Score of 90, which is considered to be undervalued.
When you look at Cheetah Mobile Inc.’s price-to-sales ratio at 0.19 compared to the industry median at 3.05, this company has a lower price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make Cheetah Mobile Inc.’s stock more attractive for value investors.
Now, let’s assess Cheetah Mobile Inc.’s EV/EBITDA ratio, also known as enterprise multiple. At 3.4, when compared to the industry median of 22.7, 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. Cheetah Mobile Inc.’s shareholder yield is lower than its industry median ratio of (3.60%). 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. Cheetah Mobile Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 2.98. This could make Cheetah Mobile Inc. more attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.
Sprout Social, Inc.’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | SPT | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 28 | 0.83 | 3.05 |
| Price/Earnings | na | na | 27.2 |
| EV/EBITDA | na | na | 22.7 |
| Shareholder Yield | 66 | (3.1%) | (3.6%) |
| Price/Book Value | 49 | 1.90 | 2.98 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | 22 | 9.7 | 20.8 |
Sprout Social, Inc. designs, develops, and operates a web-based social media management platform in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The company provides cloud software for social messaging, data and workflows in a unified system of record, intelligence, and action. It offers AI-powered solutions, such as publishing and scheduling, social customer care, reporting and analytics, social listening and business intelligence, reputation management, social commerce, influencer marketing, employee advocacy, and automation and workflows. In addition, the company provides smart inbox, comprehensive case management, social customer relationship management, social monitoring and alerts, customer service tools, and automation; and centralized content planning, creation, and publishing, automated scheduling, content performance reporting, suggested content, message approval workflows, publishing permissions and governance, and content and asset libraries. Further, it offers social media; content performance, customer service and team, custom report builder, and reporting API; and market research, brand health, competitive insights, consumer trends, and product feedback; and social commerce, reputation and review management, mobile applications, and chat bot creation and management. Additionally, the company offers professional services consisting of consulting and training services. It serves social and community management; public relations; marketing; influencer marketing; customer service and care; commerce, sales and customer acquisition; recruiting and hiring, product development, and business strategy; and small-and-medium-sized businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises, marketing agencies, government, non-profit, and educational institutions. The company was incorporated in 2010 and is headquartered in Chicago, 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.
Sprout Social, Inc. has a Value Score of 62, which is considered to be undervalued.
Sprout Social, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Sprout Social, Inc. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 2.98.
You can read more about Sprout Social, 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.
Zoom Communications, Inc.’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | ZM | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 75 | 4.50 | 3.05 |
| Price/Earnings | 22 | 11.8 | 27.2 |
| EV/EBITDA | 49 | 12.8 | 22.7 |
| Shareholder Yield | 24 | 3.3% | (3.6%) |
| Price/Book Value | 54 | 2.19 | 2.98 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | 28 | 11.4 | 20.8 |
Zoom Communications, Inc. provides an Artificial Intelligence-first work platform for human connection in the Americas, the Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The company offers Zoom Meetings that offers HD video, voice, chat, and content sharing through mobile devices, desktops, laptops, telephones, and conference room systems; Zoom Phone, a cloud phone system; and Zoom Team Chat enables users to share messages, images, files, and content in desktop, laptop, tablet, and mobile devices. It also provides Zoom Mail and Calendar; Zoom Workflow Automation, a no-code workflow builder that helps users build workflows across Zoom Workplace and third-party applications; Zoom Docs, a modular workspace; Zoom Whiteboard, an interactive canvas; and Zoom Clips for capturing video and screen content. In addition, the company offers Zoom Contact Center, an omnichannel contact center solution; Zoom Revenue Accelerator, a conversation intelligence software for Zoom Meetings and Zoom Phone; Zoom Events to manage, host, market, and report on all of virtual and hybrid events; Zoom Sessions that allows customers to use the signature features; and Zoom Webinars which supports interactive video presentations to large audiences. Further, it provides Workvivo, an all-in-one employee experience platform; Zoom Rooms, a software-based conference room system; Workspace Reservation; Zoom Developer Platform; App Marketplace which integrates platform with other applications, platforms, websites, and services; and Zoom Apps. It serves individuals; and education, entertainment/media, enterprise infrastructure, finance, government, healthcare, manufacturing, non-profit/not for profit and social impact, retail/consumer products, and software/Internet industries. The company was formerly known as Zoom Video Communications, Inc. and changed its name to Zoom Communications, Inc. in November 2024. The company was incorporated in 2011 and is headquartered in San Jose, 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.
Zoom Communications, Inc. has a Value Score of 61, which is considered to be undervalued.
Zoom Communications, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 11.8 compared to the industry median at 27.2. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Zoom Communications, Inc. more attractive for value investors.
Zoom Communications, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Zoom Communications, Inc. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 2.98.
You can read more about Zoom Communications, 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.
Other Software 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 Software stocks as well as other industrys.
Choosing Which of the 3 Best Software 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.
- Cheetah Mobile Inc. stock has a Value Grade of A.
- Sprout Social, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
- Zoom Communications, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
Now that you have a bit more background about each of the 3 undervalued stocks in the Software 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 Software Stocks
Want to learn more about Software 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.
- 3 Undervalued Software Stocks for Tuesday, March 03
- Is AppLovin Corporation (APP) Overvalued?
- Is Oracle Corporation (ORCL) Overvalued?
- Is Palantir Technologies Inc. (PLTR) Overvalued?
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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