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WSM vs. LOVE: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

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Investors with an interest in Retail - Home Furnishings stocks have likely encountered both Williams-Sonoma (WSM - Free Report) and Lovesac (LOVE - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? 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 emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Currently, both Williams-Sonoma and Lovesac are holding a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy). The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that both of these companies have improving earnings outlooks. 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.

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.

WSM currently has a forward P/E ratio of 13.40, while LOVE has a forward P/E of 103.93. We also note that WSM has a PEG ratio of 1.48. 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. LOVE currently has a PEG ratio of 2.97.

Another notable valuation metric for WSM is its P/B ratio of 8.05. 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, LOVE has a P/B of 9.45.

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

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


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Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSM) - free report >>

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