Back to top

Image: Bigstock

ESRT vs. EGP: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors with an interest in REIT and Equity Trust - Other stocks have likely encountered both Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT - Free Report) and EastGroup Properties (EGP - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's take a closer look.

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 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.

Both Empire State Realty Trust and EastGroup Properties have a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy) right now. 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 are also interested in a number of tried-and-true valuation metrics that help show when 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.

ESRT currently has a forward P/E ratio of 9.41, while EGP has a forward P/E of 23.25. We also note that ESRT has a PEG ratio of 1.16. This popular figure is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also considers a company's expected EPS growth rate. EGP currently has a PEG ratio of 3.06.

Another notable valuation metric for ESRT is its P/B ratio of 0.73. 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, EGP has a P/B of 3.93.

These metrics, and several others, help ESRT earn a Value grade of A, while EGP has been given a Value grade of D.

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


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


EastGroup Properties, Inc. (EGP) - free report >>

Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (ESRT) - free report >>

Published in