Back to top

Image: Bigstock

PSO or DIS: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors interested in stocks from the Media Conglomerates sector have probably already heard of Pearson (PSO - Free Report) and Walt Disney (DIS - Free Report) . 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.

Pearson has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Walt Disney has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now. This means that PSO's earnings estimate revision activity has been more impressive, so investors should feel comfortable with its improving analyst 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.

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.

PSO currently has a forward P/E ratio of 14.32, while DIS has a forward P/E of 23.14. We also note that PSO has a PEG ratio of 1.35. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. DIS currently has a PEG ratio of 1.96.

Another notable valuation metric for PSO is its P/B ratio of 1.35. 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, DIS has a P/B of 1.60.

These metrics, and several others, help PSO earn a Value grade of A, while DIS has been given a Value grade of C.

PSO is currently sporting an improving earnings outlook, which makes it stick out in our Zacks Rank model. And, based on the above valuation metrics, we feel that PSO is likely the superior value option right now.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


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


The Walt Disney Company (DIS) - free report >>

Pearson, PLC (PSO) - free report >>

Published in