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MFG vs. TD: 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 Mizuho (MFG - Free Report) and Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD - 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 proven Zacks Rank emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Mizuho has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Toronto-Dominion Bank has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now. This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that MFG is likely seeing its earnings outlook improve to a greater extent. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

Value investors also tend to look at a number of traditional, tried-and-true figures to help them find stocks that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

Our Value category grades stocks based on a number of key metrics, including the tried-and-true P/E ratio, the P/S ratio, earnings yield, and cash flow per share, as well as a variety of other fundamentals that value investors frequently use.

MFG currently has a forward P/E ratio of 9.60, while TD has a forward P/E of 10.13. We also note that MFG has a PEG ratio of 0.93. 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. TD currently has a PEG ratio of 2.05.

Another notable valuation metric for MFG is its P/B ratio of 0.61. 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, TD has a P/B of 1.47.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to MFG's Value grade of B and TD's Value grade of F.

MFG 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 MFG is likely the superior value option right now.


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Toronto Dominion Bank (The) (TD) - free report >>

Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (MFG) - free report >>

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