Here are three stocks with buy rank and strong value characteristics for investors to consider today, March 17th:Peabody Energy Corporation BTU: This coal company carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 123.2% over the last 60 days.Peabody Energy Corporation Price and Consensus Peabody Energy Corporation price-consensus-chart | Peabody Energy Corporation QuotePeabody has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 2.70, compared with 7.50 for the industry. The company possesses a Value Score of A.Peabody Energy Corporation PE Ratio (TTM) Peabody Energy Corporation pe-ratio-ttm | Peabody Energy Corporation Quote Sonic Automotive, Inc. SAH: This automotive retailer carries a Zacks Rank #1, and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 13.9% over the last 60 days.Sonic Automotive, Inc. Price and Consensus Sonic Automotive, Inc. price-consensus-chart | Sonic Automotive, Inc. QuoteSonic has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 4.61, compared with 6.40 for the industry. The company possesses a Value Score of A.Sonic Automotive, Inc. PE Ratio (TTM) Sonic Automotive, Inc. pe-ratio-ttm | Sonic Automotive, Inc. Quote Alcoa Corporation AA: This industry leader in bauxite, alumina and aluminum products carries a Zacks Rank #1, and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 61.6% over the last 60 days.Alcoa Price and Consensus Alcoa price-consensus-chart | Alcoa QuoteAlcoa has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 7.23, compared with 10.70 for the industry. The company possesses a Value Score of B.Alcoa PE Ratio (TTM) Alcoa pe-ratio-ttm | Alcoa Quote See the full list of top ranked stocks here. Learn more about the Value score and how it is calculated here. 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days Just released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops." Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +25.4% per year. So be sure to give these hand-picked 7 your immediate attention. See them now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Alcoa (AA): Free Stock Analysis Report Peabody Energy Corporation (BTU): Free Stock Analysis Report Sonic Automotive, Inc. (SAH): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research