GEO or EGP: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

EGP GEO

Investors interested in REIT and Equity Trust - Other stocks are likely familiar with Geo Group (GEO - Free Report) and EastGroup Properties (EGP - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's 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 puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Currently, Geo Group has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while EastGroup Properties has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that GEO has 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.

GEO currently has a forward P/E ratio of 4.56, while EGP has a forward P/E of 19.89. We also note that GEO has a PEG ratio of 0.46. 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. EGP currently has a PEG ratio of 2.63.

Another notable valuation metric for GEO is its P/B ratio of 1.20. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, EGP has a P/B of 3.21.

These metrics, and several others, help GEO earn a Value grade of A, while EGP has been given a Value grade of F.

GEO has seen stronger estimate revision activity and sports more attractive valuation metrics than EGP, so it seems like value investors will conclude that GEO is the superior option right now.

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