RCL vs. MTN: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

RCL MTN

Investors looking for stocks in the Leisure and Recreation Services sector might want to consider either Royal Caribbean (RCL - Free Report) or Vail Resorts (MTN - 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.

The best way to find great value stocks is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive 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, Royal Caribbean has a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), while Vail Resorts has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that RCL is likely seeing its earnings outlook improve to a greater extent. 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.

RCL currently has a forward P/E ratio of 12.37, while MTN has a forward P/E of 26.25. We also note that RCL has a PEG ratio of 0.46. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. MTN currently has a PEG ratio of 1.84.

Another notable valuation metric for RCL is its P/B ratio of 6.38. The P/B is a method of comparing a stock's market value to its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, MTN has a P/B of 9.61.

Based on these metrics and many more, RCL holds a Value grade of B, while MTN has a Value grade of C.

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

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