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EBKDY or NABZY: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors interested in stocks from the Banks - Foreign sector have probably already heard of Erste Group Bank AG (EBKDY - Free Report) and National Australia Bank Ltd. (NABZY - 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.

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 Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Currently, Erste Group Bank AG has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while National Australia Bank Ltd. has a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell). The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that EBKDY 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.

EBKDY currently has a forward P/E ratio of 4.81, while NABZY has a forward P/E of 11.71. We also note that EBKDY has a PEG ratio of 0.53. 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. NABZY currently has a PEG ratio of 1.82.

Another notable valuation metric for EBKDY is its P/B ratio of 0.61. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, NABZY has a P/B of 1.40.

These metrics, and several others, help EBKDY earn a Value grade of B, while NABZY has been given a Value grade of D.

EBKDY stands above NABZY thanks to its solid earnings outlook, and based on these valuation figures, we also feel that EBKDY is the superior value option right now.


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National Australia Bank Ltd. (NABZY) - free report >>

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