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ESRT or EGP: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors looking for stocks in the REIT and Equity Trust - Other sector might want to consider either Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT - Free Report) or 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.

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 emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Right now, both Empire State Realty Trust and EastGroup Properties are sporting a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy). The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that both of these companies 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.

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.

ESRT currently has a forward P/E ratio of 9.73, while EGP has a forward P/E of 24.12. We also note that ESRT has a PEG ratio of 3.49. This figure is similar to the commonly-used P/E ratio, with the PEG ratio also factoring in a company's expected earnings growth rate. EGP currently has a PEG ratio of 3.71.

Another notable valuation metric for ESRT is its P/B ratio of 0.78. 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, EGP has a P/B of 3.90.

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

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.


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

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