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WF vs. HDB: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in stocks from the Banks - Foreign sector have probably already heard of Woori Bank (WF - Free Report) and HDFC Bank (HDB - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors? We'll need to take a closer look to find out.

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, Woori Bank is sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), while HDFC Bank has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). Investors should feel comfortable knowing that WF likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than HDB has recently. 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.

WF currently has a forward P/E ratio of 2.71, while HDB has a forward P/E of 22.65. We also note that WF has a PEG ratio of 0.20. 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. HDB currently has a PEG ratio of 1.30.

Another notable valuation metric for WF is its P/B ratio of 0.37. 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, HDB has a P/B of 3.74.

Based on these metrics and many more, WF holds a Value grade of B, while HDB has a Value grade of D.

WF 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 WF is likely the superior value option right now.


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