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TGT vs. ROST: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in Retail - Discount Stores stocks are likely familiar with Target (TGT - Free Report) and Ross Stores (ROST - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's 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.

Currently, Target has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Ross Stores has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that TGT is likely seeing its earnings outlook improve to a greater extent. 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.

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.

TGT currently has a forward P/E ratio of 16.27, while ROST has a forward P/E of 25.27. We also note that TGT has a PEG ratio of 1.15. This popular figure is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also considers a company's expected EPS growth rate. ROST currently has a PEG ratio of 2.14.

Another notable valuation metric for TGT is its P/B ratio of 5. 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, ROST has a P/B of 9.95.

These metrics, and several others, help TGT earn a Value grade of A, while ROST has been given a Value grade of C.

TGT sticks out from ROST in both our Zacks Rank and Style Scores models, so value investors will likely feel that TGT is the better option right now.


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Target Corporation (TGT) - free report >>

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