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HMLP vs. KEX: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in Transportation - Shipping stocks are likely familiar with Hoegh LNG and Kirby (KEX - 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.

Hoegh LNG and Kirby are sporting Zacks Ranks of #2 (Buy) and #4 (Sell), respectively, right now. This means that HMLP's earnings estimate revision activity has been more impressive, so investors should feel comfortable with its improving analyst outlook. But this is only part of the picture for value investors.

Value investors analyze a variety of traditional, tried-and-true metrics to help find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

The Style Score Value grade factors in a variety of key fundamental metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a number of other key stats that are commonly used by value investors.

HMLP currently has a forward P/E ratio of 3.29, while KEX has a forward P/E of 71.36. We also note that HMLP has a PEG ratio of 0.52. 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. KEX currently has a PEG ratio of 5.95.

Another notable valuation metric for HMLP is its P/B ratio of 0.54. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, KEX has a P/B of 1.02.

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

HMLP sticks out from KEX in both our Zacks Rank and Style Scores models, so value investors will likely feel that HMLP is the better option right now.


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