Based on key financial metrics such as the price-to-sales ratio, shareholder yield and the price-earnings ratio, the following 4 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.

4 Undervalued Banks Stocks

Of course, there are countless value stocks that are worth mentioning, but this is a concise list of the top 4 undervalued stocks in the Banks industry for Tuesday, March 24, 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.

Business First Bancshares, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Business First Bancshares, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for b1BANK that provides various banking products and services in Louisiana and Texas. It offers various deposit products and services, including checking and savings, time, and money market accounts; and certificates of deposits, remote deposit capture, and direct deposit services. The company also provides commercial and industrial loans, such as working capital, term, equipment financing, asset acquisition, expansion and development, borrowing base, and other loan products, as well as commercial lines of credit, accounts receivable factoring, agricultural financing, and letters of credit; construction and development loans; commercial real estate loans; residential real estate loans comprising first and second lien 1-4 family mortgage loans, and home equity lines of credit; and consumer loans, including secured and unsecured installment, and term loans. In addition, it offers wealth management products, including mutual funds, annuities, individual retirement accounts, and other financial products, as well as other fiduciary and private banking products and services. Further, the company provides a range of other financial services comprising debit and credit cards, treasury and cash management, merchant, automated clearing house, lock-box, receivables factoring, correspondent banking, and other treasury services, as well as employee and payroll benefits solutions; and drive-through banking facilities, automated teller machines, night depository, personalized checks, electronic funds transfer, domestic and foreign wire transfer, traveler’s checks, vault, loan and deposit sweep accounts, interest-rate swaps, small business administration products, online and mobile banking, e-statements, and bank-by-mail services. Business First Bancshares, Inc. was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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.

Business First Bancshares, Inc. has a Value Score of 79, which is considered to be undervalued.

When you look at Business First Bancshares, Inc.’s price-to-sales ratio at 2.52 compared to the industry median at 3.13, this company has a lower price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make Business First Bancshares, Inc.’s stock more attractive for value investors.

Business First Bancshares, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 9.60 compared to the industry median at 11.90. This means it has a lower share price relative to earnings compared to its peers. This could make Business First Bancshares, Inc. 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. Business First Bancshares, Inc.’s shareholder yield is lower 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. Business First Bancshares, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 1.11. This could make Business First Bancshares, Inc. more attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.

Lastly, let’s take a look at Business First Bancshares, Inc.’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio (P/FCF), which can indicate a company’s market value relative to its operating cash flow. Business First Bancshares, Inc.’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 15.50. This could make Business First Bancshares, Inc. more attractive because the lower P/FCF ratio indicates that Business First Bancshares, Inc. 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.

Community Trust Bancorp, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Community Trust Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Community Trust Bank, Inc. that provides various commercial and personal banking, and trust and wealth management services. The company accepts time and demand deposits, checking accounts, regular and term savings accounts and savings certificates, individual retirement accounts and Keogh plans, and money market accounts. Its loan portfolio includes commercial, construction, mortgage, and personal loans; lease-financing, lines of credit, revolving lines of credit, and term loans, as well as other specialized loans, including asset-based financing; residential and commercial real estate loans; consumer loans; hotel/motel loans; and other commercial loans. The company also provides cash management, renting safe deposit boxes, and funds transfer services; issues letters of credit; and acts as a trustee of personal trusts, executor of estates, trustee for employee benefit trusts, and paying agent for bond and stock issues, as well as an investment agent and depositor for securities and undertakes repurchase agreements. In addition, it offers securities brokerage services; debit cards; annuity and life insurance products; and repurchase agreements. The company serves small and mid-sized communities in eastern, northeastern, central, and south-central Kentucky, southern West Virginia, and northeastern Tennessee. Community Trust Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1903 and is headquartered in Pikeville, Kentucky.

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.

Community Trust Bancorp, Inc. has a Value Score of 64, which is considered to be undervalued.

Community Trust Bancorp, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 11.0 compared to the industry median at 11.9. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Community Trust Bancorp, Inc. more attractive for value investors.

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

You can read more about Community Trust 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.

Origin Bancorp, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Origin Bancorp, Inc. operates as a bank holding company for Origin Bank that provides banking and financial services to small and medium-sized businesses, municipalities, and retail clients in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. It provides noninterest and interest-bearing checking accounts, savings deposits, money market accounts, and time deposits; and offers commercial real estate, construction and land development, consumer, residential real estate, commercial and industrial, mortgage warehouse, and residential mortgage loans. The company offers personal and commercial property, and casualty insurance products; and internet banking and voice response information, mobile applications, cash management, business credit cards, overdraft protection, direct deposit, safe deposit boxes, automatic account transfers, peer-to-peer electronic pay solutions, and personal financial management solutions; and mobile and online banking, treasury management, mortgage origination and servicing facilities, commercial and consumer loans, and insurance services. The company was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Ruston, Louisiana.

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.

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

Origin Bancorp, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 17.1 compared to the industry median at 11.9. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Origin Bancorp, Inc. less attractive for value investors.

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

You can read more about Origin 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.

PCB Bancorp’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

PCB Bancorp operates as the bank holding company for PCB Bank that provides various banking products and services to small and middle market businesses and individuals in the United States. The company offers demand, savings, money market, time deposits, and certificates of deposit; and remote deposit capture, courier deposit and positive pay services, zero balance accounts, and sweep accounts. It also provides real estate loans, including commercial and residential, small business administration (SBA), multifamily, business property, and construction loans; commercial and industrial loans, such as commercial term and lines of credit, and SBA commercial term, trade finance, home, and mortgage warehouse; consumer loans comprising residential mortgage and other consumer loans; and automobile loans, unsecured lines of credit, and term loans. In addition, the company offers access to account balances, online transfers, online bill payment, and electronic delivery of customer statements; and mobile banking solutions, including remote check deposit and mobile bill pay. Further, it provides automated teller machines; cash management, debit and credit card, and online and mobile banking; and banking by telephone, mail, personal appointment, debit cards, direct deposit, and cashier’s checks, as well as treasury management, wire transfer, and automated clearing house services. It operates through full-service branches and loan production offices. The company was formerly known as Pacific City Financial Corporation and changed its name to PCB Bancorp in July 2019. PCB Bancorp was founded in 2003 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.

PCB Bancorp has a Value Score of 74, which is considered to be undervalued.

PCB Bancorp’s price-earnings ratio is 8.6 compared to the industry median at 11.9. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes PCB Bancorp more attractive for value investors.

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

You can read more about PCB Bancorp’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 4 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.

• Business First Bancshares, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Community Trust Bancorp, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Origin Bancorp, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
• PCB Bancorp stock has a Value Grade of B.

Now that you have a bit more background about each of the 4 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.

• 4 Undervalued Banks Stocks for Tuesday, March 24
• 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

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.