Back to top

Image: Bigstock

EMR or FELE: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors with an interest in Manufacturing - Electronics stocks have likely encountered both Emerson Electric (EMR - Free Report) and Franklin Electric (FELE - 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 puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Currently, Emerson Electric has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Franklin Electric has a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell). This means that EMR's earnings estimate revision activity has been more impressive, so investors should feel comfortable with its improving analyst outlook. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

Value investors also tend to look at a number of traditional, tried-and-true figures to help them find stocks that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

Our Value category highlights undervalued companies by looking at a variety of key metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, as well as the P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that have been used by value investors for years.

EMR currently has a forward P/E ratio of 18.79, while FELE has a forward P/E of 22.92. We also note that EMR has a PEG ratio of 1.71. 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. FELE currently has a PEG ratio of 1.91.

Another notable valuation metric for EMR is its P/B ratio of 2.21. 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, FELE has a P/B of 3.61.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to EMR's Value grade of B and FELE's Value grade of C.

EMR 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 EMR is likely the superior value option right now.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


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


Emerson Electric Co. (EMR) - free report >>

Franklin Electric Co., Inc. (FELE) - free report >>

Published in