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MOFG vs. CBSH: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in stocks from the Banks - Midwest sector have probably already heard of MidWestOne (MOFG - Free Report) and Commerce Bancshares (CBSH - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's 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 is a proven strategy that targets companies with positive earnings estimate revision trends, while our Style Scores work to grade companies based on specific traits.

Currently, MidWestOne has a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), while Commerce Bancshares 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 MOFG 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.

MOFG currently has a forward P/E ratio of 12.48, while CBSH has a forward P/E of 17.01. We also note that MOFG has a PEG ratio of 1.56. 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. CBSH currently has a PEG ratio of 1.96.

Another notable valuation metric for MOFG is its P/B ratio of 1.18. 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, CBSH has a P/B of 2.68.

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

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


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Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (CBSH) - free report >>

MidWestOne Financial Group, Inc. (MOFG) - free report >>