Back to top

Image: Bigstock

NI or NEE: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors interested in Utility - Electric Power stocks are likely familiar with NiSource (NI - Free Report) and NextEra Energy (NEE - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? 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 emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Currently, NiSource has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while NextEra Energy has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that NI has an improving earnings outlook. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

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.

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.

NI currently has a forward P/E ratio of 17.55, while NEE has a forward P/E of 24.42. We also note that NI has a PEG ratio of 2.57. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. NEE currently has a PEG ratio of 2.70.

Another notable valuation metric for NI is its P/B ratio of 1.85. 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, NEE has a P/B of 3.13.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to NI's Value grade of B and NEE's Value grade of D.

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


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


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


NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) - free report >>

NiSource, Inc (NI) - free report >>

Published in