Pacific Growth Equities’ Analyst Yun Kim recommends Bankrate (RATE) based on the following:

1. Bankrate, Inc. and its subsidiaries own and operate an Internet-based consumer banking and personal finance network. Its Web site, Bankrate.com aggregates information on mortgages, credit cards, automobile loans, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, checking and ATM fees, home equity loans, and online banking fees.

2. The assumption that there will likely be a surge in demand for deposits this year as many major banks are looking to boost their deposits in anticipation of write-downs of bad credit-card debt and home-equity loans.

3. According to Kim, there currently isn’t much online infrastructure to support a surge in demand, and that there aren’t any established players in this area of consumer finance, except for Bankrate.

4. The expected strength in its deposits business can more than offset this volatility.

5. The stock currently trades at 13.2 times Kim’s 2008 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization and 10.5 times hisr 2009 Ebitda estimates.

6. The stock should command premium if it can successfully execute its growth strategy to diversify out of more volatile interest-rate-driven product mix and show improved visibility into its business and more consistent financial performance.

CONCLUSION:

Shares are currently undervalued to fair value of $60 per share