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APLE vs. CUBE: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in stocks from the REIT and Equity Trust - Other sector have probably already heard of Apple Hospitality REIT (APLE - Free Report) and CubeSmart (CUBE - 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.

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.

Apple Hospitality REIT and CubeSmart are sporting Zacks Ranks of #2 (Buy) and #3 (Hold), respectively, right now. This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that APLE is likely seeing its earnings outlook improve to a greater extent. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

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.

The Value category of the Style Scores system identifies undervalued companies by looking at a number of key metrics. These include the long-favored P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that help us determine a company's fair value.

APLE currently has a forward P/E ratio of 10.46, while CUBE has a forward P/E of 16.20. We also note that APLE has a PEG ratio of 0.40. 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. CUBE currently has a PEG ratio of 1.91.

Another notable valuation metric for APLE is its P/B ratio of 1.14. 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, CUBE has a P/B of 3.17.

Based on these metrics and many more, APLE holds a Value grade of B, while CUBE has a Value grade of D.

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


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