ACGL vs. BRK.B: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

BRK.B ACGL

Investors interested in Insurance - Property and Casualty stocks are likely familiar with Arch Capital Group (ACGL - Free Report) and Berkshire Hathaway B (BRK.B - 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.

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.

Right now, both Arch Capital Group and Berkshire Hathaway B are sporting a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy). This means that both companies have witnessed positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that both of these stocks have an improving earnings outlook. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.

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.

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.

ACGL currently has a forward P/E ratio of 10.31, while BRK.B has a forward P/E of 24.48. We also note that ACGL has a PEG ratio of 1.03. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. BRK.B currently has a PEG ratio of 3.50.

Another notable valuation metric for ACGL is its P/B ratio of 1.41. 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, BRK.B has a P/B of 1.44.

Based on these metrics and many more, ACGL holds a Value grade of A, while BRK.B has a Value grade of D.

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

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