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KR vs. WMMVY: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in stocks from the Retail - Supermarkets sector have probably already heard of Kroger (KR - Free Report) and WalMart de Mexico SAB de CV (WMMVY - 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 proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Currently, Kroger has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while WalMart de Mexico SAB de CV has a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell). The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that KR has an improving earnings outlook. But this is only part of the picture 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.

KR currently has a forward P/E ratio of 12.13, while WMMVY has a forward P/E of 23.32. We also note that KR has a PEG ratio of 1.08. 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. WMMVY currently has a PEG ratio of 2.32.

Another notable valuation metric for KR is its P/B ratio of 3.64. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, WMMVY has a P/B of 6.23.

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

KR has seen stronger estimate revision activity and sports more attractive valuation metrics than WMMVY, so it seems like value investors will conclude that KR is the superior option right now.


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