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, October 06, 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.

California BanCorp’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

California BanCorp operates as the bank holding company for California Bank of Commerce, N.A. that provides various financial products to individuals, professionals, and small- to medium-sized businesses in California, the United States. The company offers checking, savings, and money market accounts; and certificates of deposit. It also provides business loans, including construction and land development loans, commercial and industrial loans, small business administration loans, and consumer loans, as well as commercial real estate (CRE) loans comprising one- to four-family and multifamily residential loans, owner-occupied CRE loans, and non-owner-occupied CRE loans; lines of credit; home equity lines of credit; and letters of credit. In addition, the company offers treasury management; merchant services; escrow and sub-accounting solutions; cash vault, sweep accounts, and remote deposit capture services; online and mobile banking services; and ACH origination, courier, and lockbox processing services. It serves businesses, business owners and their trusts, limited liability corporations, business partnerships, associations, organizations, and governmental authorities, as well as the manufacturing, wholesale distribution, professional services, commercial real estate, healthcare, hospitality, commercial contractor, and non-profit organization sectors. The company was formerly known as Southern California Bancorp and changed its name to California BanCorp in August 2024. California BanCorp was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in San Diego, 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.

California BanCorp has a Value Score of 68, which is considered to be undervalued.

When you look at California BanCorp’s price-to-sales ratio at 3.80 compared to the industry median at 3.37, this company has a higher price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make California BanCorp’s stock less attractive for value investors.

California BanCorp’s price-earnings ratio is 11.80 compared to the industry median at 12.10. This means it has a lower share price relative to earnings compared to its peers. This could make California 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. California BanCorp’s shareholder yield is higher 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. California BanCorp’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 1.24. This could make California BanCorp more attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.

Lastly, let’s take a look at California BanCorp’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio (P/FCF), which can indicate a company’s market value relative to its operating cash flow. California BanCorp’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 14.80. This could make California BanCorp more attractive because the lower P/FCF ratio indicates that California 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.

HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for HomeTrust Bank that provides a range of retail and commercial banking products and services in the United States. It’s deposit products include savings, money market, noninterest-bearing, and interest-bearing checking accounts, as well as certificates of deposit for individuals, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. The company’s loan portfolio comprises one-to-four-family real estate lending, multifamily, home equity lines of credit, construction and land development, indirect auto finance, and consumer lending; and commercial loans that include commercial real estate, construction and land development, and commercial and industrial loans. It also provides small business administration loans, equipment finance leases, and municipal leases, as well as cash management and online/mobile banking services. In addition, the company invests in debt securities issued by the United States government agencies and government-sponsored enterprises, municipal bonds, corporate bonds, commercial paper, and certificates of deposit insured by the federal deposit insurance corporation. Further it provides healthcare banking, designed to serve the distinct financial needs of healthcare practices and professionals; provides customized financial solutions and relationship-driven support for medical, dental, and veterinary practices throughout each stage of the business lifecycle, from acquisition and ownership transition to expansion and long-term operations. HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. was founded in 1926 and is headquartered in Asheville, 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.

HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. has a Value Score of 77, which is considered to be undervalued.

HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 12.2 compared to the industry median at 12.1. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. less attractive for value investors.

HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.24.

You can read more about HomeTrust Bancshares, 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.

Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Southern Bank that provides banking and financial services to individuals and corporate customers in the United States. The company offers deposit products, including interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing transaction accounts, money market deposit accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposit, and retirement savings plans. It also provides loans secured by mortgages on one- to four-family residences and commercial and agricultural real estate; construction loans on residential and commercial properties; commercial and agricultural business loans; consumer loans; and business financing, including small business, working capital, business real estate, and equipment loans. In addition, the company offers fiduciary and investment management services; brokerage services of commercial and consumer insurance products; cash management and merchant services; online and mobile banking services; refinance services; and debit or credit cards. The company was founded in 1887 and is headquartered in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

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.

Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. has a Value Score of 70, which is considered to be undervalued.

Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 11.2 compared to the industry median at 12.1. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. more attractive for value investors.

Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.24.

You can read more about Southern Missouri 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 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.

• California BanCorp stock has a Value Grade of B.
• HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Southern Missouri Bancorp, 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 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, October 05
• Does Commercial Bancgroup, Inc. (CBK) Have Momentum?
• Which Is a Better Investment, City Holding Company or SouthState Bank Corporation Stock?
• Why AGI Inc’s (AGBK) Stock Is Up 17.95%

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.