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 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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6 Undervalued Banks 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 Banks industry for Wednesday, September 02, 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.
| Company | Ticker | Price/Sales | Price/Earnings | EV/EBITDA | Shareholder Yield | Price/Book Value | Price/Free Cash Flow | Value Grade |
| First Interstate BancSystem, Inc. | FIBK | 3.43 | 11.2 | na | 11.7% | 1.04 | 67.2 | B |
| PCB Bancorp | PCB | 3.25 | 9.4 | na | 3.9% | 1.15 | 13.5 | B |
| Provident Financial Services, Inc. | PFS | 3.35 | 9.6 | na | 4.3% | 1.03 | 13.3 | A |
| Truist Financial Corporation | TFC | 3.27 | 11.4 | na | 9.4% | 1.03 | 21.4 | B |
| Westamerica Bancorporation | WABC | 5.67 | 12.8 | na | 13.3% | 1.57 | 22.6 | C |
| Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc. | WASH | 3.35 | 13.3 | na | 6.9% | 1.33 | 14.0 | 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.
First Interstate BancSystem, Inc.’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | FIBK | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 66 | 3.43 | 3.43 |
| Price/Earnings | 21 | 11.2 | 12.3 |
| EV/EBITDA | na | na | 0.0 |
| Shareholder Yield | 4 | 11.7% | 2.4% |
| Price/Book Value | 23 | 1.04 | 1.23 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | 89 | 67.2 | 14.6 |
First Interstate BancSystem, Inc. operates as a bank holding company for First Interstate Bank that provides a range of banking products and services in the United States. The company offers various traditional depository products, including checking, savings, and time deposits; and repurchase agreements primarily for commercial and municipal depositors. It also provides a range of trust, employee benefit, investment management, insurance, agency, and custodial services, including administration of estates and personal trusts; manages investment accounts for individuals; employee benefit plans and charitable foundations; and insurance planning. The company’s loan portfolio includes real estate loans, such as commercial real estate, construction, residential, agricultural, and other real estate loans; consumer loans, including direct personal loans, credit card loans and lines of credit, and indirect loans; variable and fixed rate commercial loans for small and medium-sized manufacturing, wholesale, retail, and service businesses for working capital needs and business expansions; and agricultural loans. In addition, it offers marketing, credit review, loan servicing, credit cards servicing, mortgage loan sales and servicing, indirect consumer loan and processing, loan collection services, other operational, and specialized staff support services, as well as online and mobile banking services. The company serves individuals, businesses, municipalities, and other entities in various industries, including agriculture, construction, education, governmental services, healthcare, hospitality, housing, professional services, real estate development, retail, technology, tourism, and wholesale trade. First Interstate BancSystem, Inc. was formerly known as First Interstate Bancsystem Of Montana, Inc. and changed its name to First Interstate BancSystem, Inc. in June 1993. The company was founded in 1879 and is headquartered in Billings, Montana.
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 Interstate BancSystem, Inc. has a Value Score of 64, which is considered to be undervalued.
When you look at First Interstate BancSystem, Inc.’s price-to-sales ratio at 3.43 compared to the industry median at 3.43, this company has a higher price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make First Interstate BancSystem, Inc.’s stock fairly attractive for value investors.
First Interstate BancSystem, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 11.20 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 First Interstate BancSystem, 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. First Interstate BancSystem, Inc.’s shareholder yield is higher 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. First Interstate BancSystem, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 1.23. This could make First Interstate BancSystem, Inc. more attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.
Lastly, let’s take a look at First Interstate BancSystem, Inc.’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio (P/FCF), which can indicate a company’s market value relative to its operating cash flow. First Interstate BancSystem, Inc.’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio is higher than its industry median ratio of 14.60. This could make First Interstate BancSystem, Inc. less attractive because the higher P/FCF ratio indicates that First Interstate BancSystem, 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.
PCB Bancorp’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | PCB | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 64 | 3.25 | 3.43 |
| Price/Earnings | 14 | 9.4 | 12.3 |
| EV/EBITDA | na | na | 0.0 |
| Shareholder Yield | 21 | 3.9% | 2.4% |
| Price/Book Value | 27 | 1.15 | 1.23 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | 35 | 13.5 | 14.6 |
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 80, which is considered to be undervalued.
PCB Bancorp’s price-earnings ratio is 9.4 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 PCB Bancorp more attractive for value investors.
PCB Bancorp’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make PCB Bancorp fairly attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.23.
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.
Provident Financial Services, Inc.’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | PFS | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 65 | 3.35 | 3.43 |
| Price/Earnings | 15 | 9.6 | 12.3 |
| EV/EBITDA | na | na | 0.0 |
| Shareholder Yield | 19 | 4.3% | 2.4% |
| Price/Book Value | 23 | 1.03 | 1.23 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | 35 | 13.3 | 14.6 |
Provident Financial Services, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Provident Bank that provides various banking products and services to individuals, families, and businesses in the United States. Its deposit products include savings, checking, interest-bearing checking, money market deposit, and certificate of deposit accounts, as well as IRA products. The company’s loan portfolio comprises commercial real estate loans that are secured by properties, such as multi-family apartment buildings, retail and industrial properties, and office buildings; commercial business loans; fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgage loans collateralized by one- to four-family residential real estate properties; residential mortgage loans; commercial construction loans; and consumer loans consisting of home equity loans, home equity lines of credit, personal loans and unsecured lines of credit, and auto and recreational vehicle loans. It also offers cash management, remote deposit capture, payroll origination, escrow account management, and online and mobile banking services; and business credit cards. In addition, the company provides wealth management services comprising investment management, trust and estate administration, financial planning, and tax compliance and planning; and insurance agency operations. Further, it sells insurance and investment products, including annuities; and manages and sells real estate properties acquired through foreclosure. The company was founded in 1839 and is headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey.
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.
Provident Financial Services, Inc. has a Value Score of 81, which is considered to be undervalued.
Provident Financial Services, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 9.6 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 Provident Financial Services, Inc. more attractive for value investors.
Provident Financial Services, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Provident Financial Services, Inc. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.23.
You can read more about Provident Financial Services, 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.
Truist Financial Corporation’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | TFC | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 64 | 3.27 | 3.43 |
| Price/Earnings | 23 | 11.4 | 12.3 |
| EV/EBITDA | na | na | 0.0 |
| Shareholder Yield | 6 | 9.4% | 2.4% |
| Price/Book Value | 23 | 1.03 | 1.23 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | 55 | 21.4 | 14.6 |
Truist Financial Corporation, a financial services company, provides banking and trust services in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States. The company operates through two segments, Consumer and Small Business Banking; and Wholesale Banking. Its deposit products include noninterest-bearing checking, interest-bearing checking, savings, and money market deposit accounts, as well as certificates of deposit and individual retirement accounts. The company also provides funding; asset management; credit card lending; home equity and mortgage lending; other direct retail lending; home mortgage lending; Investment brokerage services; mobile/online banking; payment solutions; point-of-sale lending; retail and small business deposit products; and small business lending. In addition, it offers asset-based lending, commercial deposit and treasury services; commercial lending; floor plan lending; derivatives; institutional trust services; insurance premium finance; international banking; investment banking and capital markets services; leasing; merchant services; mortgage warehouse lending; real estate lending; supply chain financing; and wealth management/private banking. The company was formerly known as BB&T; Corporation and changed its name to Truist Financial Corporation in December 2019. Truist Financial Corporation was founded in 1872 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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.
Truist Financial Corporation has a Value Score of 77, which is considered to be undervalued.
Truist Financial Corporation’s price-earnings ratio is 11.4 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 Truist Financial Corporation more attractive for value investors.
Truist Financial Corporation’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Truist Financial Corporation less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.23.
You can read more about Truist 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.
Westamerica Bancorporation’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | WABC | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 81 | 5.67 | 3.43 |
| Price/Earnings | 30 | 12.8 | 12.3 |
| EV/EBITDA | na | na | 0.0 |
| Shareholder Yield | 3 | 13.3% | 2.4% |
| Price/Book Value | 41 | 1.57 | 1.23 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | 58 | 22.6 | 14.6 |
Westamerica Bancorporation operates as a bank holding company for Westamerica Bank that provides various banking products and services to individual and commercial customers in the United States. The company accepts various deposit products from local businesses and professionals, as well as retail savings and checking accounts, as well as certificates of deposit. Its loan portfolio includes commercial, commercial real estate, residential real estate, real estate construction, consumer installment loans, as well as indirect automobile loans. The company serves small businesses, professionals, and consumers. The company was formerly known as Independent Bankshares Corporation and changed its name to Westamerica Bancorporation in 1983. Westamerica Bancorporation was founded in 1884 and is headquartered in San Rafael, 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.
Westamerica Bancorporation has a Value Score of 60, which is considered to be fairly valued.
Westamerica Bancorporation’s price-earnings ratio is 12.8 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 Westamerica Bancorporation less attractive for value investors.
Westamerica Bancorporation’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Westamerica Bancorporation more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.23.
You can read more about Westamerica Bancorporation’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.
Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc.’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | WASH | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 65 | 3.35 | 3.43 |
| Price/Earnings | 32 | 13.3 | 12.3 |
| EV/EBITDA | na | na | 0.0 |
| Shareholder Yield | 10 | 6.9% | 2.4% |
| Price/Book Value | 34 | 1.33 | 1.23 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | 37 | 14.0 | 14.6 |
Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for The Washington Trust Company, of Westerly that provides various banking and financial services to individuals and businesses. The company operates in two segments, Banking and Wealth Management Services. The Banking segment offers deposit accounts, including noninterest-bearing demand deposits, interest-bearing demand deposits, now accounts, money market accounts, savings accounts, and time deposits; various commercial and retail lending products, such as commercial real estate loans, including commercial mortgages, and construction and development loans; commercial and industrial loans comprising working capital, equipment financing, and financing for other business-related purposes; residential real estate loans that consist of mortgage and homeowner construction loans; and consumer loans comprising home equity loans and lines of credit, personal installment loans, and loans to individuals secured by general aviation aircraft. This segment also provides debit cards; automated teller machines (ATMs); telephone banking, internet banking, mobile banking, remote deposit capture, and other cash management services; and investment portfolio and wholesale funding services. The Wealth Management Services segment offers investment management; financial planning; personal trust and estate services, such as trustee, personal representative, custodian, and guardian; and settlement of decedents’ estates, as well as institutional trust services comprising custody and fiduciary services for personal and institutional clients. Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1800 and is headquartered in Westerly, Rhode Island.
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.
Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc. has a Value Score of 74, which is considered to be undervalued.
Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 13.3 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 Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc. less attractive for value investors.
Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc. more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.23.
You can read more about Washington 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.
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 6 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.
- First Interstate BancSystem, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
- PCB Bancorp stock has a Value Grade of B.
- Provident Financial Services, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of A.
- Truist Financial Corporation stock has a Value Grade of B.
- Westamerica Bancorporation stock has a Value Grade of C.
- Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
Now that you have a bit more background about each of the 6 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.
- 6 Undervalued Banks Stocks for Tuesday, September 01
- Which Is a Better Investment, Beacon Financial Corporation or Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. Stock?
- Which Is a Better Investment, Beacon Financial Corporation or Zions Bancorporation, National Association Stock?
- Which Is a Better Investment, Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. or 1st Source Corporation Stock?
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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