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What are value stocks?

Value stocks trade cheaply relative to earnings, assets or cash: out-of-fashion companies the market prices at a discount.

The value investor hunts for forgotten quality: solid businesses with low P/Es, generous dividends, often in boring sectors — banks, energy, industrials. The bet is that pessimism is overdone and price will drift back toward value.

It's the school of Graham and Buffett. The opposite danger is the "value trap": a stock that looks discounted but is cheap because the business is genuinely dying.

Concrete example

In 2022, while the Nasdaq collapsed, value energy and bank stocks — shunned for a decade — were among the market's best performers.

How you see it in InsiderFlow

On InsiderFlow these concepts come alive on real data: what big funds and insiders are buying, explained every day.

Frequently asked questions

Value or growth?

They alternate over long cycles: value dominated 2000–2007, growth 2010–2021. Many portfolios hold both.

How do I spot a value trap?

Structurally declining earnings, a shrinking industry, rising debt: the discount is real, but deserved.

Related terms

What are growth stocks?What is the margin of safety?What is intrinsic value?