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 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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3 Undervalued Banks 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 Banks industry for Tuesday, September 08, 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.

Oak Valley Bancorp’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Oak Valley Bancorp operates as the bank holding company for Oak Valley Community Bank that provides a range of commercial banking services to individuals and small to medium-sized businesses in the Central Valley and the Eastern Sierras. The company accepts deposits through checking and savings, money market, health savings, and individual retirement accounts, as well as certificates of deposit. It also provides commercial real estate loans, commercial business lending and trade finance, and small business administration lending, as well as consumer loans, including automobile loans, home mortgages, credit lines, and other personal loans. In addition, the company offers Internet, online, and mobile banking services; automated teller machines; and remote deposit capture, merchant, night depository, extended hours, wire transfer of funds, and note collection services. Oak Valley Bancorp was incorporated in 1990 and is headquartered in Oakdale, 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.

Oak Valley Bancorp has a Value Score of 66, which is considered to be undervalued.

When you look at Oak Valley Bancorp’s price-to-sales ratio at 3.47 compared to the industry median at 3.54, this company has a lower price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make Oak Valley Bancorp’s stock more attractive for value investors.

Oak Valley Bancorp’s price-earnings ratio is 12.40 compared to the industry median at 12.60. This means it has a lower share price relative to earnings compared to its peers. This could make Oak Valley Bancorp 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. Oak Valley Bancorp’s shareholder yield is lower than its industry median ratio of 2.30%. 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. Oak Valley Bancorp’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its industry median ratio of 1.27. This could make Oak Valley Bancorp less attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.

Lastly, let’s take a look at Oak Valley Bancorp’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio (P/FCF), which can indicate a company’s market value relative to its operating cash flow. Oak Valley Bancorp’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio is higher than its industry median ratio of 15.10. This could make Oak Valley Bancorp less attractive because the higher P/FCF ratio indicates that Oak Valley Bancorp 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.

United Bankshares, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

United Bankshares, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides commercial and retail banking products and services in the United States. The company accepts checking, savings, and time and money market accounts; individual retirement accounts; and demand deposits, statement and special savings, and NOW accounts. Its loan products include commercial loans and leases to small to mid-size industrial and commercial companies, as well as automobile dealers, service, retail and wholesale merchants; construction and real estate loans, such as commercial and residential mortgages, and loans secured by owner-occupied real estate; personal, automobiles, boats, recreational vehicles, credit card receivables, commercial, and floor plan loans; and home equity loans. In addition, the company provides credit cards; trust, safe deposit boxes, wire transfers, and other banking products and services; investment and security services; buying and selling federal fund services; automated teller machine services; and internet and automated telephone banking services. Further, it offers community banking services, such as asset management, real property title insurance, financial planning, mortgage banking, and brokerage services, as well as custody of assets, investment management, escrow services, and related fiduciary activities. The company was incorporated in 1982 and is headquartered in Charleston, West 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.

United Bankshares, Inc. has a Value Score of 64, which is considered to be undervalued.

United Bankshares, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 13.1 compared to the industry median at 12.6. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes United Bankshares, Inc. less attractive for value investors.

United Bankshares, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make United Bankshares, Inc. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.27.

You can read more about United Bankshares, 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.

Western Alliance Bancorporation’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Western Alliance Bancorporation operates as the bank holding company for Western Alliance Bank that provides various banking products and related services primarily in Arizona, California, and Nevada. It operates through Commercial and Consumer Related segments. The company offers deposit products, including demand deposit, checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as fixed-rate and fixed maturity certificates of deposit accounts; treasury management products and services to small and middle-market businesses, specialized banking services to sophisticated commercial institutions and investors; and residential mortgage products and services. It also provides commercial and industrial loan products, such as working capital lines of credit, loans to technology companies, inventory and accounts receivable lines, mortgage warehouse lines, equipment loans and leases, and other commercial loans; commercial real estate loans, which are secured by multifamily residential properties, professional offices, industrial facilities, retail centers, hotels, and other commercial properties; construction and land development loans for single family and multifamily residential projects, industrial/warehouse properties, office buildings, retail centers, medical office facilities, and residential lot developments; and consumer loans. In addition, the company offers other financial services, such as internet banking, wire transfers, electronic bill payment and presentment, funds transfer and other digital payment offerings, lock box services, courier, and cash management services. Further, the company holds certain investment securities, municipal and non-profit loans, and leases; invests primarily in low-income housing tax credits and small business investment corporations; and certain real estate loans and related securities. Western Alliance Bancorporation was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.

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.

Western Alliance Bancorporation has a Value Score of 84, which is considered to be undervalued.

Western Alliance Bancorporation’s price-earnings ratio is 9.1 compared to the industry median at 12.6. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Western Alliance Bancorporation more attractive for value investors.

Western Alliance Bancorporation’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Western Alliance Bancorporation less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.27.

You can read more about Western Alliance 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.

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 3 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.

• Oak Valley Bancorp stock has a Value Grade of B.
• United Bankshares, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Western Alliance Bancorporation stock has a Value Grade of A.

Now that you have a bit more background about each of the 3 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.

• 3 Undervalued Banks Stocks for Monday, September 07
• Does CSB Bancorp, Inc. (CSBB) Have Momentum?
• 3 Undervalued Banks Stocks for Friday, September 04
• Why Bank7 Corp.’s (BSVN) Stock Is Up 5.16%

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.