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ZTO vs. CHRW: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in stocks from the Transportation - Services sector have probably already heard of ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (ZTO - Free Report) and C.H. Robinson Worldwide (CHRW - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's 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.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. and C.H. Robinson Worldwide are sporting Zacks Ranks of #2 (Buy) and #4 (Sell), respectively, right now. This means that ZTO's earnings estimate revision activity has been more impressive, so investors should feel comfortable with its improving analyst outlook. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.

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.

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.

ZTO currently has a forward P/E ratio of 15.81, while CHRW has a forward P/E of 23.12. We also note that ZTO has a PEG ratio of 0.84. 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. CHRW currently has a PEG ratio of 3.85.

Another notable valuation metric for ZTO is its P/B ratio of 1.92. 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, CHRW has a P/B of 6.80.

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

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


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