Back to top

Image: Bigstock

EMN or AIQUY: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors interested in Chemical - Diversified stocks are likely familiar with Eastman Chemical (EMN - Free Report) and Air Liquide (AIQUY - 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.

There are plenty of strategies for discovering value stocks, but we have found that pairing a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system produces the best returns. The Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Right now, Eastman Chemical is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Air Liquide 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 EMN has an improving earnings outlook. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

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.

EMN currently has a forward P/E ratio of 12.63, while AIQUY has a forward P/E of 27.68. We also note that EMN has a PEG ratio of 1.08. 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. AIQUY currently has a PEG ratio of 2.46.

Another notable valuation metric for EMN is its P/B ratio of 2.07. 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, AIQUY has a P/B of 3.84.

These metrics, and several others, help EMN earn a Value grade of A, while AIQUY has been given a Value grade of D.

EMN sticks out from AIQUY in both our Zacks Rank and Style Scores models, so value investors will likely feel that EMN is the better option right now.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


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


Air Liquide (AIQUY) - free report >>

Eastman Chemical Company (EMN) - free report >>

Published in