Undervaluation

Any stock that trades at a lower price than the issuing company's reputation, earnings outlook, or financial situation would seem to merit is considered undervalued.

Undervaluation may occur when investors lose interest in a company, perhaps because it hasn't kept pace with its competitors, or if there are management problems.

Some investors concentrate on identifying and investing in undervalued stocks, sometimes called simply value stocks, drawn by their bargain prices and the expectation of recovery.