Investors looking for stocks in the REIT and Equity Trust - Other sector might want to consider either Healthpeak (DOC) or EastGroup Properties (EGP). But which of these two stocks offers value investors a better bang for their buck right now? We'll need to 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 puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.
Right now, Healthpeak is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while EastGroup Properties 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 DOC 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.
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.
DOC currently has a forward P/E ratio of 11.97, while EGP has a forward P/E of 20.83. We also note that DOC has a PEG ratio of 2.32. 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. EGP currently has a PEG ratio of 2.91.
Another notable valuation metric for DOC is its P/B ratio of 1.54. 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, EGP has a P/B of 3.01.
Based on these metrics and many more, DOC holds a Value grade of B, while EGP has a Value grade of D.
DOC stands above EGP thanks to its solid earnings outlook, and based on these valuation figures, we also feel that DOC is the superior value option right now.
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Healthpeak Properties, Inc. (DOC): Free Stock Analysis Report
EastGroup Properties, Inc. (EGP): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).