BMO or BCH: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

BMO BCH

Investors interested in stocks from the Banks - Foreign sector have probably already heard of Bank of Montreal (BMO - Free Report) and Banco De Chile (BCH - 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.

There are plenty of strategies for discovering value stocks, but we have found that pairing a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system produces the best returns. The proven Zacks Rank emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Currently, both Bank of Montreal and Banco De Chile are holding a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy). The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that both of these companies have improving earnings outlooks. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.

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.

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.

BMO currently has a forward P/E ratio of 10.43, while BCH has a forward P/E of 11.45. We also note that BMO has a PEG ratio of 0.68. 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. BCH currently has a PEG ratio of 2.05.

Another notable valuation metric for BMO is its P/B ratio of 1.66. 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, BCH has a P/B of 1.77.

These metrics, and several others, help BMO earn a Value grade of B, while BCH has been given a Value grade of F.

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

Buy 5 Stocks BEFORE Election Day

Biden or Trump? Zacks is releasing a FREE Special Report, Profit from the 2024 Presidential Election (no matter who wins).

Since 1950, presidential election years have been strong for the market. This report names 5 timely stocks to ride the wave of electoral excitement.

They include a medical manufacturer that gained +11,000% in the last 15 years… a rental company absolutely crushing its sector… an energy powerhouse planning to grow its already large dividend by 25%... an aerospace and defense standout that just landed a potentially $80 billion contract… and a giant chipmaker building huge plants in the U.S. 

Don’t Wait. Download FREE >>