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looking cheap FTSE 100 stocks to buy? Here are three that I think investors should seriously consider.
WPP
It can be argued that WPP (LSE:WPP) is one of Footsie's best offerings based on forecast earnings.
At 738 pence per share, it trades on a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 8.4 times. This is based on expected earnings of 87.6 pence per share in 2025, which is a 1% increase on last year's expected earnings.
This is not to say that profits are guaranteed to increase this year and in the future. As a provider of advertising and marketing services, your profits are very sensitive to broader economic conditions. Promotion spending is one of the first things companies cut when times get tough.
However, WPP also has significant long-term growth potential as the global economy expands. This is due to its market-leading offerings across the entire communications and advertising spectrum.
A strong balance sheet gives it room to grow profits through new acquisition activities as well. Its net debt/EBITDA ratio was a reasonable 1.6 times in mid-2024.
Vodafone
Stock pickers looking for a solid paper value might also want to investigate Vodafone (LSE:VOD) today. The telecom giant looks cheap based on expected earnings and dividends, but that's not all.
With a price-to-book (P/B) value of less than 1, at 0.8, its shares trade at a discount to the value of the company's assets.
By 2025, Vodafone's P/E ratio is 9.9 times, based on its current share price of 68.3p. And its corresponding dividend yield is a hefty 6.9%.
On the one hand, I'm not surprised by Vodafone's cheap valuation. In response, it cut the dividend to help improve its balance sheet. And net debt remains high at €31.8 billion, fueling market fears of further dividend cuts in the future.
But I also believe that Vodafone has significant long-term investment potential. Broadband and mobile service providers could reap huge benefits as the digital economy grows rapidly. And Vodafone's huge investment in 5G and fiber rollout could see it thrive in this landscape.
I also think the company's operations in fast-growing African countries could prove very lucrative.
F&C Investment Trust
At £11.56 per share, the F&C Investment Trust (LSE:FCIT) has risen sharply in early 2025. However, it is still trading at a discount of around 10% to its net asset value (NAV) per share of £12.85.
Like other funds and trusts, it gives investors the opportunity to spread risk across a number of companies (over 400) in total. However, with a heavy weighting on US tech stocks, things could face headwinds in the near term.
Lackluster results from companies like Apple, Goal and microsoft At the end of this week the value of the trust could fall. In addition, fears about the Chinese company DeepSeek's chatbot and its impact on the ai market may also drive down its price.
However, I believe these threats are built into the trust's low valuation. Taken together, the tech market still appears to be in good shape for long-term growth as our lives become increasingly digitalized. What's more, F&C Investment Trust's diversification across many sectors helps mitigate any technology-related stress.
