Investors interested in stocks from the Waste Removal Services sector have probably already heard of Montrose Environmental (MEG) and Zurn Water (ZWS) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's take a closer look.The best way to find great value stocks is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The Zacks Rank is a proven strategy that targets companies with positive earnings estimate rev ...

Company Overview - Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. operates as an automated global electronic broker, specializing in routing orders and executing trades across various financial instruments on over 160 electronic exchanges in 37 countries and 28 currencies [11] - The company also allows customers to trade certain cryptocurrencies through third-party service providers [11] - In August 2025, Interactive Brokers joined the S&P 500 Index [11] Investment Ratings - Interactive Brokers is rated 2 (Buy) on the Zacks Rank, indicating a favorable investment outlook [12] - The company has a VGM Score of A, reflecting strong overall performance across value, growth, and momentum metrics [12] Value Metrics - The Value Style Score for Interactive Brokers is B, supported by attractive valuation metrics such as a forward P/E ratio of 32.31, which may appeal to value investors [12] - Recent upward revisions in earnings estimates by three analysts have led to an increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate by $0.11 to $2.06 per share for fiscal 2025 [12] Earnings Performance - Interactive Brokers has demonstrated an average earnings surprise of +8%, indicating a history of exceeding earnings expectations [12] - The combination of a solid Zacks Rank and high Value and VGM Style Scores positions Interactive Brokers as a strong candidate for investors [13]

When deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold a stock, investors often rely on analyst recommendations. Media reports about rating changes by these brokerage-firm-employed (or sell-side) analysts often influence a stock's price, but are they really important?Let's take a look at what these Wall Street heavyweights have to say about NRG Energy (NRG) before we discuss the reliability of brokerage recommendations and how to use them to your advantage.NRG currently has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of ...

Core Insights - The article emphasizes the importance of value investing as a preferred strategy for identifying strong stocks in various market conditions [2] - Sharp (SHCAY) is highlighted as a notable value stock, currently holding a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A [3][6] Valuation Metrics - Sharp's Price-to-Book (P/B) ratio is 2.81, which is favorable compared to the industry average of 3.22, with its P/B fluctuating between 4.49 and 2.06 over the past year [4] - The Price-to-Cash Flow (P/CF) ratio for Sharp is 4.87, significantly lower than the industry's average of 11.31, with its P/CF ranging from 6.90 to -9.02 in the past year [5] Investment Outlook - The combination of Sharp's strong earnings outlook and favorable valuation metrics suggests that it is likely undervalued, making it one of the strongest value stocks in the market [6]

Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the importance of value investing and highlights Orion Group (ORN) as a strong candidate for value investors due to its favorable valuation metrics and earnings outlook [1][2][7]. Valuation Metrics - Orion Group has a Price-to-Book (P/B) ratio of 2.09, which is significantly lower than the industry average of 5.07, indicating it may be undervalued [4]. - The Price-to-Sales (P/S) ratio for ORN is 0.41, compared to the industry's average of 1.01, further suggesting that the stock is undervalued [5]. - ORN's Price-to-Cash Flow (P/CF) ratio stands at 7.40, well below the industry average of 22.19, reinforcing the notion of undervaluation [6]. Earnings Outlook - The strength of ORN's earnings outlook, combined with its attractive valuation metrics, positions it as one of the strongest value stocks in the market currently [7].

Core Insights - The article emphasizes the importance of utilizing Zacks Premium for investors to enhance their stock market strategies and confidence in investing [1][2] Zacks Style Scores - Zacks Style Scores are complementary indicators that rate stocks based on value, growth, and momentum methodologies, helping investors identify stocks likely to outperform the market in the next 30 days [3][4] - Each stock is rated from A to F, with A indicating the highest potential for outperformance [4] Value Score - The Value Score focuses on identifying undervalued stocks using financial ratios such as P/E, PEG, and Price/Sales to find attractive investment opportunities [4] Growth Score - The Growth Score assesses a company's financial health and future outlook, analyzing projected and historical earnings, sales, and cash flow to identify sustainable growth stocks [5] Momentum Score - The Momentum Score identifies optimal times to invest based on price trends and earnings outlook, utilizing metrics like weekly price changes and monthly earnings estimate changes [6] VGM Score - The VGM Score combines the Value, Growth, and Momentum Scores, providing a comprehensive rating that highlights stocks with the best overall potential [7] Zacks Rank - The Zacks Rank is a proprietary model that uses earnings estimate revisions to help investors build successful portfolios, with 1 (Strong Buy) stocks historically yielding an average annual return of +23.93% since 1988, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 [8][9] - Investors are encouraged to focus on stocks with a Zacks Rank of 1 or 2 and Style Scores of A or B for optimal returns [10] Stock Highlight: Ameriprise Financial Services (AMP) - Ameriprise Financial, headquartered in Minneapolis, has total assets under management of $1.58 trillion as of June 30, 2025, and holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) with a VGM Score of A [12] - The company is projected to experience year-over-year earnings growth of 11.4% for the current fiscal year, supported by positive earnings estimate revisions and an average earnings surprise of +3.4% [13]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the reliability of brokerage recommendations, particularly focusing on AppFolio (APPF), and highlights the disparity between brokerage ratings and actual stock performance, suggesting that investors should validate these recommendations with other analytical tools like the Zacks Rank [1][5][10]. Brokerage Recommendations for AppFolio - AppFolio has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.43, indicating a consensus between Strong Buy and Buy, with 71.4% of recommendations being Strong Buy and 14.3% being Buy [2][4]. - Despite the positive ABR, the article cautions against making investment decisions solely based on this metric due to the historical ineffectiveness of brokerage recommendations in predicting stock price increases [5][10]. Analyst Bias and Its Implications - Brokerage analysts tend to exhibit a strong positive bias in their ratings, often issuing five Strong Buy recommendations for every Strong Sell, which misaligns their interests with those of retail investors [6][7][10]. - This bias suggests that brokerage recommendations may not provide reliable insights into future stock price movements, emphasizing the need for investors to conduct their own analyses [7][10]. Zacks Rank as an Alternative Tool - The Zacks Rank, which classifies stocks based on earnings estimate revisions, is presented as a more reliable indicator of near-term price performance compared to ABR [8][11]. - The Zacks Rank is updated more frequently and reflects the latest earnings estimates, making it a timely tool for predicting stock price movements [12]. Current Earnings Estimates for AppFolio - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AppFolio has declined by 8.5% over the past month to $5.12, indicating growing pessimism among analysts regarding the company's earnings prospects [13]. - This decline in earnings estimates has resulted in a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) for AppFolio, suggesting that the positive ABR should be viewed with caution [14].

Core Viewpoint - Sumitomo Corp. (SSUMY) is currently viewed as a better value opportunity compared to Federal Signal (FSS) based on various financial metrics and rankings [1][7]. Valuation Metrics - SSUMY has a forward P/E ratio of 9.00, significantly lower than FSS's forward P/E of 29.70 [5]. - The PEG ratio for SSUMY is 1.77, while FSS has a PEG ratio of 2.12, indicating that SSUMY is expected to grow earnings at a more favorable rate relative to its price [5]. - SSUMY's P/B ratio stands at 1.06, compared to FSS's P/B of 5.71, suggesting that SSUMY is more undervalued relative to its book value [6]. Earnings Outlook - SSUMY holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating a positive earnings estimate revision trend, while FSS has a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [3]. - The solid earnings outlook for SSUMY contributes to its superior valuation compared to FSS [7]. Value Grades - SSUMY has been assigned a Value grade of A, whereas FSS has received a Value grade of D, further supporting the conclusion that SSUMY is the more attractive investment option [6].

Core Insights - Zacks Premium offers various tools for investors to enhance their stock market engagement and confidence [1] - The Zacks Style Scores provide a framework for evaluating stocks based on value, growth, and momentum, aiding in identifying securities likely to outperform the market [2] Zacks Style Scores Overview - Stocks are rated A, B, C, D, or F based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics, with higher scores indicating a better chance of outperforming [3] - The Value Score focuses on identifying undervalued stocks using financial ratios like P/E and Price/Cash Flow [4] - The Growth Score assesses a company's future prospects through projected earnings and sales growth [5] - The Momentum Score identifies optimal entry points based on price trends and earnings estimate changes [6] Integration with Zacks Rank - The Zacks Rank utilizes earnings estimate revisions to simplify portfolio building, with 1 (Strong Buy) stocks achieving an average annual return of +23.64% since 1988, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 [7][8] - To maximize returns, investors should prioritize stocks with a Zacks Rank of 1 or 2 and Style Scores of A or B [9] - Stocks with lower ranks but high Style Scores may still face downward price pressure due to negative earnings forecasts [10] Company Spotlight: Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) - Warner Bros. Discovery emerged from the merger of AT&T's WarnerMedia and Discovery, trading under the symbol WBD since April 11, 2022 [11] - WBD holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) with a VGM Score of A and a Momentum Style Score of A, having increased 62.1% in the past four weeks [11] - Recent upward revisions in earnings estimates for fiscal 2025 have raised the Zacks Consensus Estimate by $0.38 to $0.34 per share, with an average earnings surprise of +3.8% [12]

Group 1 - Sumitomo Corp. (SSUMY) and Federal Signal (FSS) are both stocks in the Diversified Operations sector that present value opportunities for investors [1] - Both companies currently hold a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating positive revisions to their earnings estimates and improving earnings outlooks [3][6] - Value investors utilize various traditional metrics to identify undervalued companies, including P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, and cash flow per share [4] Group 2 - SSUMY has a forward P/E ratio of 8.92, while FSS has a forward P/E of 31.35, suggesting SSUMY is more attractively valued [5] - SSUMY's PEG ratio is 1.88, compared to FSS's PEG ratio of 2.24, indicating SSUMY's expected EPS growth is more favorable [5] - SSUMY has a P/B ratio of 1.11, significantly lower than FSS's P/B of 6.02, further supporting SSUMY's superior valuation [6] Group 3 - Based on the valuation metrics, SSUMY is considered the superior value option compared to FSS [7]