Investors interested in stocks from the Business - Information Services sector have probably already heard of TransUnion (TRU) and Experian PLC (EXPGY). But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.
Everyone has their own methods for finding great value opportunities, but our model includes pairing an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system with a strong Zacks Rank. The Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.
Right now, TransUnion is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Experian PLC has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that TRU is likely seeing its earnings outlook improve to a greater extent. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.
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 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.
TRU currently has a forward P/E ratio of 14.98, while EXPGY has a forward P/E of 18.17. We also note that TRU has a PEG ratio of 1.10. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. EXPGY currently has a PEG ratio of 1.33.
Another notable valuation metric for TRU is its P/B ratio of 2.82. 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, EXPGY has a P/B of 6.12.
These are just a few of the metrics contributing to TRU's Value grade of B and EXPGY's Value grade of C.
TRU 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 TRU is likely the superior value option right now.
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TransUnion (TRU): Free Stock Analysis Report
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).