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E vs. XOM: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors with an interest in Oil and Gas - Integrated - International stocks have likely encountered both Eni SpA (E - Free Report) and Exxon Mobil (XOM - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's take a closer look.

Everyone has their own methods for finding great value opportunities, but our model includes pairing an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system with a strong Zacks Rank. The proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Both Eni SpA and Exxon Mobil have a Zacks Rank of # 1 (Strong Buy) right now. Investors should feel comfortable knowing that both of these stocks have an improving earnings outlook since the Zacks Rank favors companies that have witnessed positive analyst estimate revisions. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

Value investors are also interested in a number of tried-and-true valuation metrics that help show when a company is undervalued at its current share price levels.

Our Value category grades stocks based on a number of key metrics, including the tried-and-true P/E ratio, the P/S ratio, earnings yield, and cash flow per share, as well as a variety of other fundamentals that value investors frequently use.

E currently has a forward P/E ratio of 7.47, while XOM has a forward P/E of 11.71. We also note that E has a PEG ratio of 0.73. 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. XOM currently has a PEG ratio of 0.78.

Another notable valuation metric for E is its P/B ratio of 1.17. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, XOM has a P/B of 2.03.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to E's Value grade of B and XOM's Value grade of C.

Both E and XOM are impressive stocks with solid earnings outlooks, but based on these valuation figures, we feel that E is the superior value option right now.


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