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AUY vs. RGLD: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors looking for stocks in the Mining - Gold sector might want to consider either Yamana Gold or Royal Gold (RGLD - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.

Everyone has their own methods for finding great value opportunities, but our model includes pairing an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system with a strong Zacks Rank. The proven Zacks Rank emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Yamana Gold and Royal Gold are sporting Zacks Ranks of #2 (Buy) and #3 (Hold), respectively, right now. Investors should feel comfortable knowing that AUY likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than RGLD has recently. But this is only part of the picture 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 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.

AUY currently has a forward P/E ratio of 26.24, while RGLD has a forward P/E of 38.33. We also note that AUY has a PEG ratio of 1.44. 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. RGLD currently has a PEG ratio of 3.83.

Another notable valuation metric for AUY is its P/B ratio of 1.38. 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, RGLD has a P/B of 3.97.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to AUY's Value grade of B and RGLD's Value grade of F.

AUY stands above RGLD thanks to its solid earnings outlook, and based on these valuation figures, we also feel that AUY is the superior value option right now.


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