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MARUY vs. HON: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors looking for stocks in the Diversified Operations sector might want to consider either Marubeni Corp. (MARUY - Free Report) or Honeywell International Inc. (HON - 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.

There are plenty of strategies for discovering value stocks, but we have found that pairing a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system produces the best returns. The proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Right now, Marubeni Corp. is sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), while Honeywell International Inc. 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 MARUY 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.

MARUY currently has a forward P/E ratio of 5.03, while HON has a forward P/E of 29.01. We also note that MARUY has a PEG ratio of 0.43. 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. HON currently has a PEG ratio of 2.74.

Another notable valuation metric for MARUY is its P/B ratio of 0.84. 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, HON has a P/B of 8.86.

These metrics, and several others, help MARUY earn a Value grade of A, while HON has been given a Value grade of C.

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


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