Back to top

Image: Bigstock

CNP or MGEE: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors interested in Utility - Electric Power stocks are likely familiar with CenterPoint Energy (CNP - Free Report) and MGE (MGEE - 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.

We have found that the best way to discover great value opportunities is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with a great grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The Zacks Rank is a proven strategy that targets companies with positive earnings estimate revision trends, while our Style Scores work to grade companies based on specific traits.

CenterPoint Energy and MGE are sporting Zacks Ranks of #2 (Buy) and #4 (Sell), respectively, right now. Investors should feel comfortable knowing that CNP likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than MGEE has recently. But this is only part of the picture 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.

CNP currently has a forward P/E ratio of 19.21, while MGEE has a forward P/E of 21.86. We also note that CNP has a PEG ratio of 2.56. 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. MGEE currently has a PEG ratio of 4.09.

Another notable valuation metric for CNP is its P/B ratio of 1.90. 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, MGEE has a P/B of 2.37.

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

CNP has seen stronger estimate revision activity and sports more attractive valuation metrics than MGEE, so it seems like value investors will conclude that CNP is the superior option right now.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


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


CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (CNP) - free report >>

MGE Energy Inc. (MGEE) - free report >>

Published in