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TGT or TJX: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors interested in Retail - Discount Stores stocks are likely familiar with Target (TGT - Free Report) and TJX (TJX - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's take a closer look.

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 Zacks Rank is a proven strategy that targets companies with positive earnings estimate revision trends, while our Style Scores work to grade companies based on specific traits.

Right now, both Target and TJX are sporting a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy). This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that these stocks have improving earnings outlooks. 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.

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.

TGT currently has a forward P/E ratio of 22.42, while TJX has a forward P/E of 155.13. We also note that TGT has a PEG ratio of 2.64. 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. TJX currently has a PEG ratio of 14.77.

Another notable valuation metric for TGT is its P/B ratio of 7.40. 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, TJX has a P/B of 14.69.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to TGT's Value grade of B and TJX's Value grade of C.

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


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