Is BCB Bancorp NJ (BCBP) Stock Undervalued Right Now?

Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks.

Of these, value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. Value investors use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

Luckily, Zacks has developed its own Style Scores system in an effort to find stocks with specific traits. Value investors will be interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with both "A" grades in the Value category and high Zacks Ranks are among the strongest value stocks on the market right now.

One company value investors might notice is BCB Bancorp NJ (BCBP). BCBP is currently holding a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock holds a P/E ratio of 9.3, while its industry has an average P/E of 9.55. Over the last 12 months, BCBP's Forward P/E has been as high as 16.33 and as low as 6.85, with a median of 8.77.

Investors should also recognize that BCBP has a P/B ratio of 0.51. The P/B is a method of comparing a stock's market value to its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. BCBP's current P/B looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/B of 1.16. Within the past 52 weeks, BCBP's P/B has been as high as 0.77 and as low as 0.46, with a median of 0.56.

Value investors also frequently use the P/S ratio. This metric is found by dividing a stock's price with the company's revenue. This is a popular metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement, so they are often considered a better performance indicator. BCBP has a P/S ratio of 0.76. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.95.

Metropolitan Bank Holding (MCB) may be another strong Banks - Northeast stock to add to your shortlist. MCB is a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy) stock with a Value grade of A.

Metropolitan Bank Holding sports a P/B ratio of 1.14 as well; this compares to its industry's price-to-book ratio of 1.16. In the past 52 weeks, MCB's P/B has been as high as 1.16, as low as 0.71, with a median of 0.94.

These figures are just a handful of the metrics value investors tend to look at, but they help show that BCB Bancorp NJ and Metropolitan Bank Holding are likely being undervalued right now. Considering this, as well as the strength of its earnings outlook, BCBP and MCB feels like a great value stock at the moment.

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BCB Bancorp, Inc. (NJ) (BCBP): Free Stock Analysis Report

Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. (MCB): Free Stock Analysis Report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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