Zacks.com featured highlights Macy's, Pebblebrook, Boise Cascade, Apple Hospitality REIT and PBF Energy

5 Attractively Valued Low P/S Stocks with Solid Revenue Potential

Investing in stocks based on valuation metrics is a proven strategy for identifying companies with strong upside potential. Although the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is widely used to assess value, it becomes less meaningful when a company is unprofitable, operating with thin margins or experiencing volatile earnings.

In such situations, the price-to-sales (P/S) ratio can offer a more useful perspective. By comparing a company’s market value with its revenues, the metric helps investors evaluate how much they are paying for each dollar of sales.

Stocks with low P/S ratios may present attractive opportunities, particularly when supported by solid fundamentals, improving margins and favorable business momentum. However, a low multiple should not be viewed in isolation, as it may also reflect structural weaknesses or limited growth prospects. Used alongside measures of profitability, financial strength and operating performance, the price-to-sales ratio can help uncover undervalued stocks with meaningful upside potential.

Macy's, Inc., Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, Boise Cascade Co., Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc.  and PBF Energy Inc. are some companies with low price-to-sales ratios and the potential to offer higher returns.

What Is the Price-to-Sales Ratio?

While a loss-making company with a negative price-to-earnings ratio falls out of investor favor, its price-to-sales ratio can indicate the hidden strength of the business. This underrated ratio is also used to identify a recovery situation or ensure a company's growth is not overvalued.

A stock’s price-to-sales ratio reflects how much investors pay for each dollar of revenues generated by a company.

If the price-to-sales ratio is 1, investors are paying $1 for every $1 of revenues generated by the company. A stock with a price-to-sales ratio below 1 is a good bargain, as investors need to pay less than a dollar for a dollar’s worth.

Thus, a stock with a lower price-to-sales ratio is a more suitable investment than a stock with a high price-to-sales ratio.

The price-to-sales ratio is often preferred over price-to-earnings, as companies can manipulate their earnings using various accounting measures. However, sales are harder to manipulate and are relatively reliable.

However, one should keep in mind that a company with high debt and a low price-to-sales ratio is not an ideal choice. The high debt level will have to be paid off at some point, leading to further share issuance, a rise in market cap and a higher price-to-sales ratio.

In any case, the price-to-sales ratio used in isolation cannot do the trick. One should analyze other ratios like Price/Earnings, Price/Book and Debt/Equity before arriving at any investment decision. 

Here are five of the 12 stocks that qualified the screening:

Macy's Bold New Chapter strategy is focused on improving the company’s long-term competitive position through a more productive store base, stronger luxury banners, disciplined merchandising and enhanced customer engagement. The Reimagine initiative provides a repeatable operating model to improve service, store standards, and local execution across key locations. Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury strengthen portfolio diversification, support a more favorable sales mix, and reduce its reliance on the core department store business.

High-margin revenue streams, including credit card income and Macy’s Media Network, enhance earnings quality and provide stability beyond merchandise sales. Continued investment in omnichannel capabilities, artificial intelligence, supply-chain automation and inventory management should improve efficiency, availability and conversion. Strong liquidity supports these initiatives, while brand partnerships, curated assortments and experiential retail programs help reinforce traffic, loyalty and long-term relevance with customers. M presently carries a Zacks Rank #2 and has a Value Score of A. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Pebblebrook, an internally managed hotel investment company, continues to demonstrate strong fundamentals, supported by its diverse portfolio of upscale urban and resort hotels. The company’s strategy centers on operational efficiency, disciplined capital allocation and enhancing long-term asset value through targeted redevelopments. Recent property transformations, including the successful repositioning of Newport Harbor Island Resort and the full restoration of LaPlaya Beach Resort, have strengthened portfolio quality and profitability.

Pebblebrook’s focus on productivity initiatives and cost control has helped offset inflationary pressures and protect margins, even amid uneven regional recoveries. With all major redevelopment projects completed, capital needs are expected to moderate, enabling greater free cash flow generation. Pebblebrook remains well-positioned to benefit from resilient travel demand, disciplined expense management and strategic property enhancements that support sustainable, long-term value creation. PEB currently has a Value Score of A and sports a Zacks Rank #1.

Boise, ID-based Boise Cascade is one of North America’s largest producers of engineered wood products and plywood, as well as a leading wholesale distributor of building materials in the United States. Its strong market position across manufacturing and distribution supports a compelling long-term investment case. The company stands to benefit from structural U.S. housing demand, driven by a persistent housing shortage, aging housing stock, and increased repair and remodeling activity. Its extensive nationwide distribution network, value-added service capabilities and disciplined capital allocation strengthen its competitive position across housing cycles.

Boise Cascade also maintains a strong balance sheet, enabling continued investments in capacity expansion, strategic acquisitions and consistent shareholder returns through dividends and share repurchases. As residential construction activity gradually recovers and renovation spending remains resilient, BCC is well- positioned to capitalize on improving demand while delivering healthy cash flows and long-term earnings growth. BCC currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 and has a Value Score of A. 

Apple Hospitality is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that owns the largest and most diverse portfolio of upscale, room-focused hotels in the United States. The company offers a fundamentally sound lodging REIT story built on portfolio quality, brand alignment and disciplined execution. It owns a geographically diversified collection of room-focused hotels affiliated with leading brands, giving it broad exposure to leisure, corporate and group demand.

Management has demonstrated prudent capital allocation through selective acquisitions, timely dispositions and consistent reinvestment to keep properties competitive. A flexible balance sheet and ample liquidity provide resilience across cycles. While recent demand softness weighed on its performance, leisure trends remain supportive and operational agility positions the portfolio to benefit as business travel normalizes, supporting long-term cash flow stability and shareholder returns. APLE has a Value Score of B and a Zacks Rank of 2 at present.

Parsippany, NJ-based PBF Energy benefits from a geographically diversified refining network that provides flexibility in sourcing crude, optimizing operations, and supplying multiple regional markets. Its complex refining system enables the processing of a broad range of crude types while producing higher-value refined products, supporting profitability as market conditions evolve. The company also maintains a relatively conservative balance sheet with solid liquidity, providing financial flexibility and resilience through refining cycles while supporting its focus on reducing debt when conditions allow.

In addition, PBF continues to advance its Refining Business Improvement program, which is aimed at lowering costs and improving operational efficiency. These initiatives are expected to enhance refinery performance, reduce operating and capital expenditures, and strengthen long-term earnings potential, positioning the company to benefit from improved reliability and disciplined execution. PBF currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 and has a Value Score of A.

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