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OGE vs. SO: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in stocks from the Utility - Electric Power sector have probably already heard of OGE Energy (OGE - Free Report) and Southern Co. (SO - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.

There are plenty of strategies for discovering value stocks, but we have found that pairing a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system produces the best returns. The Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Currently, OGE Energy has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Southern Co. has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). Investors should feel comfortable knowing that OGE likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than SO has recently. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

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.

OGE currently has a forward P/E ratio of 17.88, while SO has a forward P/E of 19.85. We also note that OGE has a PEG ratio of 4.90. 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. SO currently has a PEG ratio of 4.96.

Another notable valuation metric for OGE is its P/B ratio of 1.60. 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, SO has a P/B of 2.21.

Based on these metrics and many more, OGE holds a Value grade of B, while SO has a Value grade of D.

OGE stands above SO thanks to its solid earnings outlook, and based on these valuation figures, we also feel that OGE is the superior value option right now.


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