Investors with an interest in REIT and Equity Trust - Other stocks have likely encountered both Cousins Properties (CUZ) and Gaming and Leisure Properties (GLPI). But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? 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 puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.
Currently, Cousins Properties has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Gaming and Leisure Properties has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). Investors should feel comfortable knowing that CUZ likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than GLPI has recently. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.
Value investors also try to analyze a wide range of traditional figures and metrics to help determine whether 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.
CUZ currently has a forward P/E ratio of 8.81, while GLPI has a forward P/E of 11.38. We also note that CUZ has a PEG ratio of 1.91. 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. GLPI currently has a PEG ratio of 1.97.
Another notable valuation metric for CUZ is its P/B ratio of 0.94. 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, GLPI has a P/B of 2.61.
Based on these metrics and many more, CUZ holds a Value grade of B, while GLPI has a Value grade of C.
CUZ 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 CUZ is likely the superior value option right now.
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Cousins Properties Incorporated (CUZ): Free Stock Analysis Report
Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (GLPI): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).