Back to top

Image: Bigstock

RL or LULU: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors with an interest in Textile - Apparel stocks have likely encountered both Ralph Lauren (RL - Free Report) and Lululemon (LULU - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? 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 emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Currently, Ralph Lauren has a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), while Lululemon 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 RL has an improving earnings outlook. But this is only part of the picture for value investors.

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 highlights undervalued companies by looking at a variety of key metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, as well as the P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that have been used by value investors for years.

RL currently has a forward P/E ratio of 14.08, while LULU has a forward P/E of 31.41. We also note that RL has a PEG ratio of 1.52. This figure is similar to the commonly-used P/E ratio, with the PEG ratio also factoring in a company's expected earnings growth rate. LULU currently has a PEG ratio of 1.57.

Another notable valuation metric for RL is its P/B ratio of 3.06. 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, LULU has a P/B of 14.50.

Based on these metrics and many more, RL holds a Value grade of B, while LULU has a Value grade of D.

RL has seen stronger estimate revision activity and sports more attractive valuation metrics than LULU, so it seems like value investors will conclude that RL is the superior option right now.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


Ralph Lauren Corporation (RL) - free report >>

lululemon athletica inc. (LULU) - free report >>

Published in