Zacks.com featured highlights include BCB Bancorp, FirstSun Capital, Nomad Foods, Genesco and ASGN

Thursday, Feb 26, 2026 11:03 am ET5min read
ASGN--
BCBP--
FSUN--
GCO--
NOMD--
Aime RobotAime Summary

- Zacks Investment Research highlights 5 undervalued stocks (BCBP, FSUN, NOMD, GCO, ASGN) with attractive EV-to-EBITDA ratios as bargain picks.

- EV-to-EBITDA is positioned as a superior valuation metric to P/E, factoring in total enterprise value and debt while excluding non-cash expenses.

- The selected stocks show strong earnings growth projections (up to 234.5% for BCBP) and recent upward revisions in analyst estimates.

- The strategy emphasizes combining EV-to-EBITDA with other metrics like P/E and P/B for comprehensive stock evaluation.

- Zacks' screen-based approach has historically outperformed the S&P 500 by significant margins since 2000.

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – February 26, 2026 – Stocks in this week’s article are BCB BancorpBCBP--, Inc. (BCBP), FirstSun Capital BancorpFSUN-- FSUN, Nomad Foods Ltd.NOMD-- NOMD, Genesco Inc.GCO-- GCO and ASGN Inc.ASGN-- ASGN.

Pick These 5 Bargain Stocks with Exciting EV-to-EBITDA Ratios

Investors generally tend to cling to the price-to-earnings (P/E) metric while looking for bargain stocks. In addition to being a widely used tool for screening stocks, P/E is also a popular metric to work out the fair market value of a company. But even this ubiquitously used valuation multiple has a few downsides.

Although P/E is the most popular valuation metric, a more complicated multiple called EV-to-EBITDA works even better. Often considered a better alternative to P/E, it gives the true picture of a company's valuation and earnings potential and has a more complete approach to valuation. While P/E considers a firm's equity portion, EV-to-EBITDA determines its total value.

BCB Bancorp, Inc., FirstSun Capital Bancorp, Nomad Foods Ltd., Genesco Inc. and ASGN Inc. are some stocks with attractive EV-to-EBITDA ratios.

Here's Why EV-to-EBITDA Is a Better Option

Also referred to as enterprise multiple, EV-to-EBITDA is the enterprise value (EV) of a stock divided by its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA). EV is the sum of a company's market capitalization, its debt and preferred stock minus cash and cash equivalents. In essence, it is the entire value of a company. EBITDA, the other element, gives a clearer picture of a company's profitability by removing the impact of non-cash expenses such as depreciation and amortization that dampen net earnings. It is also often used as a proxy for cash flows.

Typically, the lower the EV-to-EBITDA ratio, the more enticing it is. A low EV-to-EBITDA ratio could indicate that a stock is undervalued. Unlike the P/E ratio, EV-to-EBITDA takes debt on a company's balance sheet into account. For this reason, it is typically used to value acquisition targets. The ratio shows the amount of debt that the acquirer has to bear. Stocks flaunting a low EV-to-EBITDA multiple could be seen as attractive takeover candidates.

P/E can't be used to value a loss-making firm. A firm's earnings are also subject to accounting estimates and management manipulation. In contrast, EV-to-EBITDA is harder to manipulate and can be used to value companies that have negative net earnings but are positive on the EBITDA front. EV-to-EBITDA is also a useful tool in measuring the value of firms that are highly leveraged and have a high degree of depreciation. It can also be used to compare companies with different levels of debt.

EV-to-EBITDA is not devoid of limitations and alone cannot conclusively determine a stock's inherent potential and future performance. The multiple varies across industries and is usually not appropriate when comparing stocks in different industries, given their diverse capital expenditure requirements.

Thus, instead of just relying on EV-to-EBITDA, you can club it with the other major ratios, such as price-to-book (P/B), P/E and price-to-sales (P/S) to achieve the desired results.

Here are our five picks out of the 12 stocks that passed the screen:

BCB Bancorp operates as the holding company for BCB Community Bank, which offers businesses and individuals a wide range of loans, deposit products, and retail and commercial banking services. This Zacks Rank #1 stock has a Value Score of A.

BCB Bancorp has an expected earnings growth rate of 234.5% for 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BCBP's 2026 earnings has been revised 14.1% upward over the past 60 days.

FirstSun Capital Bancorp is the financial holding company for Sunflower Bank, N.A., which operates as Sunflower Bank. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has a Value Score of A. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

FirstSun Capital has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 13.8% for 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FSUN's 2026 earnings has been revised 9.8% upward over the past 60 days.

Nomad Foods manufactures and distributes frozen foods primarily in the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Sweden, France and Norway. This Zacks Rank #2 company has a Value Score of A.

Nomad Foods has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 0.5% for 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NOMD's 2026 earnings has moved up 1.6% over the past 60 days.

Genesco is a specialty retail and branded company, which sells footwear and accessories in retail stores throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. This Zacks Rank #2 company has a Value Score of A.

Genesco has an expected earnings growth rate of 43.2% for the current fiscal year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GCO's current fiscal-year earnings has been revised 42.1% upward over the past 60 days.

ASGN is a leading provider of IT services and solutions across the commercial and government sectors. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has a Value Score of A.

ASGN has an expected year-over-year earnings growth rate of 10.1% for 2026. The consensus estimate for ASGN's 2026 earnings has moved up 1.2% over the past 60 days.

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For the rest of this Screen of the Week article please visit Zacks.com at: https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2874883/pick-these-5-bargain-stocks-with-exciting-ev-to-ebitda-ratios

Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.

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Genesco Inc. (GCO): Free Stock Analysis Report

ASGN Incorporated (ASGN): Free Stock Analysis Report

Nomad Foods Limited (NOMD): Free Stock Analysis Report

FirstSun Capital Bancorp (FSUN): Free Stock Analysis Report

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

Zacks Investment Research

Zacks is the leading investment research firm focusing on equities earnings estimates and stock analysis for the individual investor, including stock picks, stock screening, portfolio stock tracker and stock screeners. Copyright 2006-2026 Zacks Equity Research, Inc. editor@zacks.com (Manaing editor) webmaster@zacks.com (Webmaster)

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