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DOLE vs. CTVA: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

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Investors with an interest in Agriculture - Operations stocks have likely encountered both Dole (DOLE - Free Report) and Corteva, Inc. (CTVA - 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 puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Currently, Dole has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Corteva, Inc. has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). This means that DOLE's earnings estimate revision activity has been more impressive, so investors should feel comfortable with its improving analyst outlook. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

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 highlights undervalued companies by looking at a variety of key metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, as well as the P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that have been used by value investors for years.

DOLE currently has a forward P/E ratio of 8.57, while CTVA has a forward P/E of 22.30. We also note that DOLE has a PEG ratio of 0.82. 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. CTVA currently has a PEG ratio of 1.67.

Another notable valuation metric for DOLE is its P/B ratio of 0.87. 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, CTVA has a P/B of 1.58.

Based on these metrics and many more, DOLE holds a Value grade of A, while CTVA has a Value grade of C.

DOLE is currently sporting an improving earnings outlook, which makes it stick out in our Zacks Rank model. And, based on the above valuation metrics, we feel that DOLE is likely the superior value option right now.


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