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SMFG vs. HSBC: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in Banks - Foreign stocks are likely familiar with Sumitomo Mitsui (SMFG - Free Report) and HSBC (HSBC - 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.

Sumitomo Mitsui and HSBC are sporting Zacks Ranks of #1 (Strong Buy) and #3 (Hold), respectively, right now. Investors should feel comfortable knowing that SMFG likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than HSBC has recently. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.

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 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.

SMFG currently has a forward P/E ratio of 7.46, while HSBC has a forward P/E of 11.37. We also note that SMFG has a PEG ratio of 1.27. 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. HSBC currently has a PEG ratio of 1.90.

Another notable valuation metric for SMFG is its P/B ratio of 0.51. 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, HSBC has a P/B of 0.87.

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

SMFG 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 SMFG is likely the superior value option right now.


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Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc (SMFG) - free report >>

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