We recently compiled a list of the 8 Best Value Stocks to Invest In According To Warren Buffett. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) stands against the other the Best Value Stocks to Invest In According To Warren Buffett.

Is the market too expensive? That’s the big question with major market indices at all-time highs even as the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates to try and prevent the economy from plunging into recession. Warren Buffett, the most revered investor on Wall Street, is sending alarm bells as he continues to trim stakes in some widely held stocks on valuations getting out of hand.

Buffett’s actions in the market in recent months have raised concerns about the overall market outlook as the economic growth starts showing signs of weakness. Growth in the labor market cooling off and growing at the slowest pace since 2021, with the manufacturing sector also slowing, has raised serious doubts about the economic outlook.

READ ALSO: 10 Best Performing Warren Buffett Stocks in 2024 and 14 Worst 52-Week High Stocks to Buy According to Short Sellers.

Consequently, the US Federal Reserve cut 50 basis points interest rate to support the struggling economy. Nevertheless, it is the fact that Buffett has yet to make a massive purchase or investment despite having close to $300 billion in cash reserves at his disposal, which continues to send jitters among the investment community.

Warren Buffett is known for his unwavering commitment to value investing, which is clearly shown through his investment holdings. When pitted against most of the top-tier hedge funds out there, the billionaire investor tends to purchase stocks and then holds on to them for years, if not decades, as part of his long-term holding strategy. Consequently, the best value stocks to invest in, according to Warren Buffett, have achieved incredible gains primarily through the appreciation of their share prices over time.

Since Buffett has always stuck to his value investing strategy that focuses on undervalued companies, suggestions that the market is too expensive have been quoted as one reason he’s gone entirely. There are also suggestions that the billionaire investor is waiting for the market to collapse from current highs before deploying the $300 billion at his disposal.

The Oracle of Omaha has already indicated in recent years that he does not see an abundance of value investment opportunities to pursue with the market at all-time highs. Nevertheless, Buffett’s portfolio still consists of stocks trading at some of the lowest price-to-earnings multiples that offer some of the best value investing opportunities.

Additionally, Buffett’s portfolio consists of companies showing tremendous upside potential in earnings and revenue growth. Consequently, according to Warren Buffett, the best value stocks to invest in are companies well poised to generate long-term value for shareholders.

While Buffett has been trimming stakes in some companies, it does not mean he no longer believes in their long-term prospects. Instead, the sell-off spree is part of the billionaire investor’s bid to lock in profits after one of the longest bull runs in recent history.

The sale also indicates how large some of his stakes in the company have become. Buffett had always advocated for locking in profits, having paid the price of not selling stakes in a giant beverage company when the stock stretched to 60 times earnings in the 1990s.

Even as the billionaire investor trims stakes, his portfolio remains well diversified in various sectors and poised to generate long-term value.

Our Methodology

We sifted through Berkshire Hathaway’s Q2 2024 13F filings and picked stocks that were trading at a forward P/E of under 15 and were expected to experience earnings growth this year. Finally, we ranked the stocks in descending order of their forward P/E ratios. We have also included Berkshire Hathaway’s stake and the number of hedge fund holders for each stock, as of Q2 2024.

At Insider Monkey, we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C)

Expected Earnings Growth 2024: 3.30%

Latest P/E Ratio: 8.47

Warren Buffett’s Q2 2024 Stake: $3.51 Billion

Number of Hedge Fund Investors as of Q2 2024: 85

Citigroup, Inc. (NYSE:C) is a diversified financial services company that provides financial products and services to consumers. It is one of the bank stocks trading at a significant discount with a price or earnings multiple of 8.47 while offering a 3.44% dividend yield for generating some passive income.

Citigroup, Inc. (NYSE:C) is one of the best value stocks to invest in, according to Warren Buffett, as it is well poised to generate significant long-term value at the back of an ongoing restructuring drive. The bank has embarked on a restructuring drive to boost operational efficiency and profitability.

The plan entails winding down or selling 14 consumer franchises and reducing the workforce. The bank also plans to flatten its management structure by eliminating 300 senior management roles to lower operating expenses and boost margins.

Citigroup, Inc. (NYSE:C) announced a strong second quarter for the year 2024, achieving a net income of $3.2 billion and a profit per share of $1.52. The bank’s earnings rose by 4%, experiencing notable expansion across its Services, Markets, Wealth, and US Personal Banking sectors.

Additionally, it is making progress on its restructuring drive, having already sold 9 of the 14 consumer units. Its cheap valuation makes it an appealing opportunity for value investors, given that it also pays dividends. It has also announced plans to return $1 billion to shareholders through buybacks in the third quarter.

Diamond Hill Capital, an investment management company, released its first-quarter 2024 investor letter. Here is what the fund said:

“Other top Q1 contributors included Meta Platforms, Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) and Walt Disney. Banking and financial services company Citigroup’s restructuring efforts are ongoing, and it continues remediating regulatory issues and building capital in anticipation of increased requirements. The company expects to see expenses fall meaningfully in the second half of 2024, bolstering the outlook from here.”

Overall C ranks 2nd on our list of 8 Best Value Stocks to Invest In According To Warren Buffett. While we acknowledge the potential of C as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than C, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA ‘Has Become A Wasteland’.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.