Back to top

Image: Bigstock

TGT vs. COST: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors interested in Retail - Discount Stores stocks are likely familiar with Target (TGT - Free Report) and Costco (COST - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.

The best way to find great value stocks is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The proven Zacks Rank emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Target and Costco are sporting Zacks Ranks of #2 (Buy) and #3 (Hold), respectively, right now. This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that TGT is likely seeing its earnings outlook improve to a greater extent. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

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.

The Style Score Value grade factors in a variety of key fundamental metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a number of other key stats that are commonly used by value investors.

TGT currently has a forward P/E ratio of 17.47, while COST has a forward P/E of 36.65. We also note that TGT has a PEG ratio of 2.47. 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. COST currently has a PEG ratio of 4.13.

Another notable valuation metric for TGT is its P/B ratio of 4.63. 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, COST has a P/B of 8.75.

Based on these metrics and many more, TGT holds a Value grade of A, while COST has a Value grade of C.

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


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


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


Target Corporation (TGT) - free report >>

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) - free report >>

Published in