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YUMC vs. CMG: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in Retail - Restaurants stocks are likely familiar with Yum China Holdings (YUMC - Free Report) and Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.

We have found that the best way to discover great value opportunities is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with a great grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Yum China Holdings and Chipotle Mexican Grill are sporting Zacks Ranks of #2 (Buy) and #3 (Hold), respectively, right now. Investors should feel comfortable knowing that YUMC likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than CMG has recently. 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 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.

YUMC currently has a forward P/E ratio of 20.96, while CMG has a forward P/E of 53.39. We also note that YUMC has a PEG ratio of 1.91. 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. CMG currently has a PEG ratio of 2.41.

Another notable valuation metric for YUMC is its P/B ratio of 2.80. 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, CMG has a P/B of 21.37.

Based on these metrics and many more, YUMC holds a Value grade of B, while CMG has a Value grade of F.

YUMC 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 YUMC is likely the superior value option right now.


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Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (CMG) - free report >>

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