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.

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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 Thursday, August 27, 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.

CF Bankshares Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

CF Bankshares Inc. operates as the bank holding company for CFBank, National Association that provides various banking products and services. It accepts savings, retail and business checking accounts, and money market accounts, as well as certificates of deposit. The company also offers single-family mortgage loans; commercial real estate and multi-family residential mortgage loans; commercial loans and equipment leases; residential real estate loans and treasury management depository services; construction loans; and full-service commercial and retail banking services and products. In addition, it provides consumer loans, such as home equity lines of credit, home improvement loans, and loans secured by deposits and purchased loans, as well as other loans. Further, the company offers online and internet banking, mobile banking, and remote deposits. The company was formerly known as Central Federal Corporation and changed its name to CF Bankshares Inc. in July 2020. CF Bankshares Inc. was founded in 1892 and is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.

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.

CF Bankshares Inc. has a Value Score of 66, which is considered to be undervalued.

When you look at CF Bankshares Inc.’s price-to-sales ratio at 3.98 compared to the industry median at 3.49, this company has a higher price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make CF Bankshares Inc.’s stock less attractive for value investors.

CF Bankshares Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 11.90 compared to the industry median at 12.40. This means it has a lower share price relative to earnings compared to its peers. This could make CF Bankshares 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. CF Bankshares Inc.’s shareholder yield is lower than its industry median ratio of 2.40%. 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. CF Bankshares Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 1.25. This could make CF Bankshares Inc. more attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.

Lastly, let’s take a look at CF Bankshares Inc.’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio (P/FCF), which can indicate a company’s market value relative to its operating cash flow. CF Bankshares Inc.’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 14.90. This could make CF Bankshares Inc. more attractive because the lower P/FCF ratio indicates that CF Bankshares 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.

Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc. operates as a bank holding company for Citizens Community Federal N.A. that provides various traditional community banking services to businesses, agricultural operators, and consumers in the United States, Wisconsin, Minnesota and internationally. The company offers various deposit products, including demand deposits, savings and money market accounts, and certificates of deposit. It also provides various loan products, such as commercial real estate, commercial and industrial, agricultural real estate, agricultural operating, and consumer loans; and one-to-four family residential mortgages and home equity lines-of-credit. In addition, the company maintains a portfolio of investments comprising mortgage-backed, asset-backed, U.S. Government sponsored agency, and corporate debt securities. Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1938 and is based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

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.

Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc. has a Value Score of 77, which is considered to be undervalued.

Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 15.8 compared to the industry median at 12.4. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc. less attractive for value investors.

Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.25.

You can read more about Citizens Community 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.

OptimumBank Holdings, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

OptimumBank Holdings, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for OptimumBank, which provides various consumer and commercial banking services to individuals and businesses. The company accepts interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing, savings, money market, and NOW accounts, as well as time deposits, wire transfers, ACH services, and certificates of deposit. It also offers multi-family real estate, residential and commercial real estate, and land and construction loans; commercial loans for working capital purposes or acquiring equipment, inventory, and furniture; and consumer loans for various purposes, including purchases of automobiles, recreational vehicles, boats, home improvements, lines of credit, personal, and deposit account collateralized loans. In addition, the company provides debit and ATM cards; cash management, notary, and night depository services; and direct deposits, money orders, cashier’s checks, domestic collections, and banking by mail. OptimumBank Holdings, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

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.

OptimumBank Holdings, Inc. has a Value Score of 60, which is considered to be fairly valued.

OptimumBank Holdings, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 11.2 compared to the industry median at 12.4. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes OptimumBank Holdings, Inc. more attractive for value investors.

OptimumBank Holdings, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make OptimumBank Holdings, Inc. more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.25.

You can read more about OptimumBank Holdings, 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.

Peoples Bancorp Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Peoples Bancorp Inc. operates as the financial holding company for Peoples Bank that provides commercial and consumer banking products and services. The company accepts various deposit products, including demand deposit accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and governmental deposits; and provides commercial and industrial, commercial real estate, construction, finance, residential real estate, and consumer indirect and direct loans, as well as home equity lines of credit and overdrafts. It also offers debit and automated teller machine (ATM) cards; safe deposit rental facilities; money orders and cashier’s checks; and online, telephone, and mobile banking services. In addition, it provides various life, health, and property and casualty insurance products; third-party insurance administration; interactive teller machines; insurance premium financing; commercial and technology equipment leasing; fiduciary and trust; equipment financing agreements; and asset management and administration services, as well as employee benefit, retirement, and healthcare plan administration services. Further, the company offers brokerage services through an unaffiliated registered broker-dealer; and credit cards to individuals and businesses, as well as merchant credit card transaction processing, and person-to-person and business-to-business payment processing services. Peoples Bancorp Inc. was founded in 1902 and is based in Marietta, Ohio.

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.

Peoples Bancorp Inc. has a Value Score of 72, which is considered to be undervalued.

Peoples Bancorp Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 12.0 compared to the industry median at 12.4. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Peoples Bancorp Inc. more attractive for value investors.

Peoples Bancorp Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Peoples Bancorp Inc. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.25.

You can read more about Peoples 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.

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.

• CF Bankshares Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
• OptimumBank Holdings, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of C.
• Peoples Bancorp Inc. 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 Wednesday, August 26
• Why Home Federal Bancorp, Inc. of Louisiana’s (HFBL) Stock Is Down 5.33%
• Why OptimumBank Holdings, Inc.’s (OPHC) Stock Is Up 5.02%
• 6 Undervalued Banks Stocks for Tuesday, August 25

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.