While the proven Zacks Rank places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find strong stocks, we also know that investors tend to develop their own individual strategies. With this in mind, we are always looking at value, growth, and momentum trends to discover great companies.

Considering these trends, value investing is clearly one of the most preferred ways to find strong stocks in any type of market. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks.

Zacks has developed the innovative Style Scores system to highlight stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will be interested in stocks with great grades in the "Value" category. When paired with a high Zacks Rank, "A" grades in the Value category are among the strongest value stocks on the market today.

One stock to keep an eye on is Civista Bancshares (CIVB). CIVB is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 10.21, which compares to its industry's average of 12.48. CIVB's Forward P/E has been as high as 11.72 and as low as 6.63, with a median of 8.57, all within the past year.

Another valuation metric that we should highlight is CIVB's P/B ratio of 0.85. 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. CIVB's current P/B looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/B of 2.19. Over the past 12 months, CIVB's P/B has been as high as 0.93 and as low as 0.59, with a median of 0.69.

Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is is calculated as price divided by sales. This is a prefered metric because revenue can't really be manipulated, so sales are often a truer performance indicator. CIVB has a P/S ratio of 1.38. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 2.06.

Finally, investors should note that CIVB has a P/CF ratio of 7.64. This data point considers a firm's operating cash flow and is frequently used to find companies that are undervalued when considering their solid cash outlook. This company's current P/CF looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 17.48. Over the past 52 weeks, CIVB's P/CF has been as high as 8.34 and as low as 4.12, with a median of 5.27.

Value investors will likely look at more than just these metrics, but the above data helps show that Civista Bancshares is likely undervalued currently. And when considering the strength of its earnings outlook, CIVB sticks out at as one of the market's strongest value stocks.

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Civista Bancshares, Inc. (CIVB) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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