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CCEP vs. KO: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in stocks from the Beverages - Soft drinks sector have probably already heard of Coca-Cola European (CCEP - Free Report) and Coca-Cola (KO - 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.

Currently, both Coca-Cola European and Coca-Cola are holding a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy). Investors should feel comfortable knowing that both of these stocks have an improving earnings outlook since the Zacks Rank favors companies that have witnessed positive analyst estimate revisions. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

Value investors analyze a variety of traditional, tried-and-true metrics to help find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

The Value category of the Style Scores system identifies undervalued companies by looking at a number of key metrics. These include the long-favored P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that help us determine a company's fair value.

CCEP currently has a forward P/E ratio of 15.41, while KO has a forward P/E of 21.47. We also note that CCEP has a PEG ratio of 2.35. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. KO currently has a PEG ratio of 3.44.

Another notable valuation metric for CCEP is its P/B ratio of 3.51. 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, KO has a P/B of 9.35.

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

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


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CocaCola Company (The) (KO) - free report >>

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) - free report >>

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