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PGRE vs. EGP: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

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Investors looking for stocks in the REIT and Equity Trust - Other sector might want to consider either Paramount Group (PGRE - Free Report) or EastGroup Properties (EGP - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks offers value investors a better bang for their buck right now? We'll need to take a closer look.

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, Paramount Group is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while EastGroup Properties has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that PGRE is likely seeing its earnings outlook improve to a greater extent. But this is only part of the picture 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.

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.

PGRE currently has a forward P/E ratio of 6.08, while EGP has a forward P/E of 21.85. We also note that PGRE has a PEG ratio of 0.23. 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. EGP currently has a PEG ratio of 2.82.

Another notable valuation metric for PGRE is its P/B ratio of 0.25. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, EGP has a P/B of 3.20.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to PGRE's Value grade of A and EGP's Value grade of F.

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


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EastGroup Properties, Inc. (EGP) - free report >>

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