Can Value Investors Pick Old Second Bancorp (OSBC) Stock ?

Value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. After all, who wouldn’t want to find stocks that are either flying under the radar and are compelling buys, or offer up tantalizing discounts when compared to fair value?

One way to find these companies is by looking at several key metrics and financial ratios, many of which are crucial in the value stock selection process. Let’s put, Old Second Bancorp, Inc. OSBC stock into this equation and find out if it is a good choice for value-oriented investors right now, or if investors subscribing to this methodology should look elsewhere for top picks:

PE Ratio

A key metric that value investors always look at is the Price to Earnings Ratio, or PE for short. This shows us how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings in a given stock, and is easily one of the most popular financial ratios in the world. The best use of the PE ratio is to compare the stock’s current PE ratio with: a) where this ratio has been in the past; b) how it compares to the average for the industry/sector; and c) how it compares to the market as a whole.

On this front, Old Second Bancorp has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 5.91, as you can see in the chart below:

 
This level actually compares pretty favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 compares in at about 20.53. If we focus on the stock’s long-term PE trend, the current level Old Second Bancorp puts current PE ratio  below its midpoint (which is 15.07) over the past five years.

 
Also, the stock’s PE compares favorably with the Zacks Finance sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 13.45. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.

 
We should also point out that Old Second Bancorp has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of 15.32, so it is fair to expect an increase in the company’s share price in the near future.

P/S Ratio

Another key metric to note is the Price/Sales ratio. This approach compares a given stock’s price to its total sales, where a lower reading is generally considered better. Some people like this metric more than other value-focused ones because it looks at sales, something that is far harder to manipulate with accounting tricks than earnings.

Right now, the stock has a P/S ratio of about 1.53. This is substantially lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.43 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is slightly below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.

 
If anything, this suggests some level of undervalued trading—at least compared to historical norms. 

Broad Value Outlook

In aggregate, Old Second Bancorp currently has a Value Style Score of A, putting it into the top 20% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes OSBC a solid choice for value investors and some of its other metrics make it clear too.

For example, the its P/CF ratio comes in at 5.41, which is slightly  better than the industry average of 7.39. Clearly, OSBC is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.

What About the Stock Overall?

Though Old Second Bancorpmight be a good choice for value investors, there are plenty of other factors to consider before investing in this name. In particular, it is worth noting that the company has a Growth grade of D and a Momentum score of D. This gives OSBC a VGM score—or its overarching fundamental grade—of B. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>).

Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been disappointing. The current quarter has seen three estimates go lower in the past sixty days and none higher, while current year  estimate has seen four downward and no upward revision in the same time period.

This has had a noticeable impact on the consensus estimate. The current quarter consensus estimate has declined 27.3% in the past two months, while the current year estimate has fallen 45.8% in the same time period. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:

Old Second Bancorp, Inc. Price and Consensus

Old Second Bancorp, Inc. price-consensus-chart | Old Second Bancorp, Inc. Quote

This negative trend is why the stock has just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and why we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.

Bottom Line

Old Second Bancorpis an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front.  However with a sluggish industry rank (bottom 20% out of more than 250 industries) and a Zacks Rank#3 , it is hard to get excited about the stock overall. In fact, over the past one year, the sector has clearly underperformed the broader market, as you can see below:

 
So, value investors might want to wait for estimates,  analyst sentiment and broader factors to turn around in this name first, but once that happens, this stock could be a compelling pick.

Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a Generation

Be among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, it’s expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity.

A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks’ just-released special report reveals 8 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time.

See 8 breakthrough stocks now>>

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
Old Second Bancorp, Inc. (OSBC) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research