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MS or TW: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors interested in Financial - Investment Bank stocks are likely familiar with Morgan Stanley (MS - Free Report) and Tradeweb Markets (TW - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? 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 emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Morgan Stanley and Tradeweb Markets are both sporting a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy) right now. Investors should feel comfortable knowing that both of these stocks have an improving earnings outlook since the Zacks Rank favors companies that have witnessed positive analyst estimate revisions. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

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 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.

MS currently has a forward P/E ratio of 11.78, while TW has a forward P/E of 48.30. We also note that MS has a PEG ratio of 1.81. This figure is similar to the commonly-used P/E ratio, with the PEG ratio also factoring in a company's expected earnings growth rate. TW currently has a PEG ratio of 3.15.

Another notable valuation metric for MS is its P/B ratio of 1.51. 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, TW has a P/B of 2.87.

Based on these metrics and many more, MS holds a Value grade of B, while TW has a Value grade of F.

Both MS and TW are impressive stocks with solid earnings outlooks, but based on these valuation figures, we feel that MS is the superior value option right now.


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