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MFG vs. SMFG: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors with an interest in Banks - Foreign stocks have likely encountered both Mizuho (MFG - Free Report) and Sumitomo Mitsui (SMFG - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors? We'll need to take a closer look to find out.

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 Zacks Rank is a proven strategy that targets companies with positive earnings estimate revision trends, while our Style Scores work to grade companies based on specific traits.

Currently, both Mizuho and Sumitomo Mitsui are holding a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy). The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that both of these companies have improving earnings outlooks. 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.

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.

MFG currently has a forward P/E ratio of 10.12, while SMFG has a forward P/E of 11.22. We also note that MFG has a PEG ratio of 1.64. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. SMFG currently has a PEG ratio of 1.96.

Another notable valuation metric for MFG is its P/B ratio of 0.64. 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, SMFG has a P/B of 0.68.

Based on these metrics and many more, MFG holds a Value grade of B, while SMFG has a Value grade of C.

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


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Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (MFG) - free report >>

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc (SMFG) - free report >>

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