Investors looking for stocks in the Financial - Miscellaneous Services sector might want to consider either Intercorp Financial Services Inc. (IFS) or Blackstone Inc. (BX). But which of these two stocks offers value investors a better bang for their buck right now? We'll need to take a closer look.
We have found that the best way to discover great value opportunities is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with a great grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The proven Zacks Rank emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.
Right now, Intercorp Financial Services Inc. is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Blackstone Inc. has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that IFS has an improving earnings outlook. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.
Value investors also tend to look at a number of traditional, tried-and-true figures to help them find stocks that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.
The Value category of the Style Scores system identifies undervalued companies by looking at a number of key metrics. These include the long-favored P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that help us determine a company's fair value.
IFS currently has a forward P/E ratio of 7.02, while BX has a forward P/E of 31.64. We also note that IFS has a PEG ratio of 0.27. This popular figure is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also considers a company's expected EPS growth rate. BX currently has a PEG ratio of 1.24.
Another notable valuation metric for IFS is its P/B ratio of 1.20. The P/B is a method of comparing a stock's market value to its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, BX has a P/B of 7.21.
These metrics, and several others, help IFS earn a Value grade of A, while BX has been given a Value grade of F.
IFS has seen stronger estimate revision activity and sports more attractive valuation metrics than BX, so it seems like value investors will conclude that IFS is the superior option right now.
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Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >>Intercorp Financial Services Inc. (IFS) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Blackstone Inc. (BX) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
