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, perhaps no stock market trend is more popular than value investing, which is a strategy that has proven to be successful in all sorts of market environments. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks.

In addition to the Zacks Rank, investors looking for stocks with specific traits can utilize our Style Scores system. Of course, value investors will be most interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with "A" grades for Value and high Zacks Ranks are among the best value stocks available at any given moment.

One company value investors might notice is Meridian Bank (MRBK). MRBK is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 8.06. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 12.42. Over the last 12 months, MRBK's Forward P/E has been as high as 9.69 and as low as 5.45, with a median of 7.19.

Another notable valuation metric for MRBK is its P/B ratio of 0.98. 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. This stock's P/B looks solid versus its industry's average P/B of 1.46. MRBK's P/B has been as high as 1 and as low as 0.58, with a median of 0.78, over the past year.

Value investors also love the P/S ratio, which is calculated by simply dividing a stock's price with the company's sales. Some people prefer this metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement. This means it could be a truer performance indicator. MRBK has a P/S ratio of 0.85. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.94.

Finally, we should also recognize that MRBK has a P/CF ratio of 8.84. This metric takes into account a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find stocks that are undervalued based on their solid cash outlook. MRBK's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 27.97. Within the past 12 months, MRBK's P/CF has been as high as 8.90 and as low as 5.04, with a median of 6.88.

These figures are just a handful of the metrics value investors tend to look at, but they help show that Meridian Bank is likely being undervalued right now. Considering this, as well as the strength of its earnings outlook, MRBK feels like a great value stock at the moment.

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