Back to top

Image: Bigstock

NWE or OGE: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors looking for stocks in the Utility - Electric Power sector might want to consider either NorthWestern (NWE - Free Report) or OGE Energy (OGE - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks offers value investors a better bang for their buck right now? We'll need to 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.

Both NorthWestern and OGE Energy have a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy) right now. 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 also tend to look at a number of traditional, tried-and-true figures to help them find stocks that they believe are undervalued at their 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.

NWE currently has a forward P/E ratio of 14.06, while OGE has a forward P/E of 16.16. We also note that NWE has a PEG ratio of 2.72. 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. OGE currently has a PEG ratio of 4.43.

Another notable valuation metric for NWE is its P/B ratio of 1.08. 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, OGE has a P/B of 1.49.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to NWE's Value grade of B and OGE's Value grade of C.

Both NWE and OGE are impressive stocks with solid earnings outlooks, but based on these valuation figures, we feel that NWE is the superior value option right now.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


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


OGE Energy Corporation (OGE) - free report >>

NorthWestern Corporation (NWE) - free report >>

Published in