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SAN or SMFG: 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 Banco Santander (SAN - Free Report) and Sumitomo Mitsui (SMFG - 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.

The best way to find great value stocks is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive 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.

Currently, Banco Santander has a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), while Sumitomo Mitsui 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 SAN has an improving earnings outlook. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

Value investors analyze a variety of traditional, tried-and-true metrics to help find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

Our Value category grades stocks based on a number of key metrics, including the tried-and-true P/E ratio, the P/S ratio, earnings yield, and cash flow per share, as well as a variety of other fundamentals that value investors frequently use.

SAN currently has a forward P/E ratio of 5.82, while SMFG has a forward P/E of 14.52. We also note that SAN has a PEG ratio of 0.41. 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. SMFG currently has a PEG ratio of 1.55.

Another notable valuation metric for SAN is its P/B ratio of 0.66. 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, SMFG has a P/B of 0.81.

These metrics, and several others, help SAN earn a Value grade of B, while SMFG has been given a Value grade of C.

SAN 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 SAN is likely the superior value option right now.


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Banco Santander, S.A. (SAN) - free report >>

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc (SMFG) - free report >>

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