Back to top

Image: Bigstock

DLA vs. VFC: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors interested in stocks from the Textile - Apparel sector have probably already heard of Delta Apparel and V.F. (VFC - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? 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.

Right now, Delta Apparel is sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), while V.F. has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). This means that DLA'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 analyze a variety of traditional, tried-and-true metrics to help find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

The Value category of the Style Scores system identifies undervalued companies by looking at a number of key metrics. These include the long-favored P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that help us determine a company's fair value.

DLA currently has a forward P/E ratio of 16.65, while VFC has a forward P/E of 23.25. We also note that DLA has a PEG ratio of 1.11. 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. VFC currently has a PEG ratio of 2.20.

Another notable valuation metric for DLA is its P/B ratio of 1.04. 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, VFC has a P/B of 7.51.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to DLA's Value grade of B and VFC's Value grade of D.

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


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


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


V.F. Corporation (VFC) - free report >>

Published in