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PNW vs. NEE: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in stocks from the Utility - Electric Power sector have probably already heard of Pinnacle West (PNW - Free Report) and NextEra Energy (NEE - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? 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.

Right now, Pinnacle West is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while NextEra Energy 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 PNW has an improving earnings outlook. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

Value investors also try to analyze a wide range of traditional figures and metrics to help determine whether a company is undervalued at its current share price levels.

The Style Score Value grade factors in a variety of key fundamental metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a number of other key stats that are commonly used by value investors.

PNW currently has a forward P/E ratio of 15.18, while NEE has a forward P/E of 18.60. We also note that PNW has a PEG ratio of 2.01. 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. NEE currently has a PEG ratio of 2.27.

Another notable valuation metric for PNW is its P/B ratio of 1.30. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, NEE has a P/B of 2.27.

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

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


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NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) - free report >>

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