KEP or IDA: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

KEP IDA

Investors interested in Utility - Electric Power stocks are likely familiar with Korea Electric Power (KEP - Free Report) and IdaCorp (IDA - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks offers value investors a better bang for their buck right now? We'll need to 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.

Currently, Korea Electric Power has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while IdaCorp has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). This means that KEP's earnings estimate revision activity has been more impressive, so investors should feel comfortable with its improving analyst outlook. 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 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.

KEP currently has a forward P/E ratio of 19.04, while IDA has a forward P/E of 19.70. We also note that KEP has a PEG ratio of 3.81. 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. IDA currently has a PEG ratio of 7.49.

Another notable valuation metric for KEP is its P/B ratio of 0.20. 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, IDA has a P/B of 1.81.

These metrics, and several others, help KEP earn a Value grade of A, while IDA has been given a Value grade of C.

KEP 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 KEP is likely the superior value option right now.

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