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BSAC vs. IBN: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in Banks - Foreign stocks are likely familiar with Banco Santander-Chile (BSAC - Free Report) and ICICI Bank Limited (IBN - 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 Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Currently, Banco Santander-Chile has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while ICICI Bank Limited has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). This means that BSAC's earnings estimate revision activity has been more impressive, so investors should feel comfortable with its improving analyst outlook. But this is only part of the picture for value investors.

Value investors analyze a variety of traditional, tried-and-true metrics to help find companies that they believe are undervalued at their 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.

BSAC currently has a forward P/E ratio of 10.98, while IBN has a forward P/E of 19.40. We also note that BSAC has a PEG ratio of 1.69. 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. IBN currently has a PEG ratio of 2.21.

Another notable valuation metric for BSAC is its P/B ratio of 1.83. 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, IBN has a P/B of 2.96.

These metrics, and several others, help BSAC earn a Value grade of B, while IBN has been given a Value grade of D.

BSAC 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 BSAC is likely the superior value option right now.


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