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DTE vs. MGEE: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in Utility - Electric Power stocks are likely familiar with DTE Energy (DTE - Free Report) and MGE (MGEE - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors? We'll need to take a closer look to find out.

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 proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Right now, DTE Energy is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while MGE has a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell). This means that DTE's earnings estimate revision activity has been more impressive, so investors should feel comfortable with its improving analyst outlook. 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 Style Score Value grade factors in a variety of key fundamental metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a number of other key stats that are commonly used by value investors.

DTE currently has a forward P/E ratio of 15.72, while MGEE has a forward P/E of 17.59. We also note that DTE has a PEG ratio of 2.62. 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 3.29.

Another notable valuation metric for DTE is its P/B ratio of 1.97. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, MGEE has a P/B of 2.06.

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

DTE is currently sporting an improving earnings outlook, which makes it stick out in our Zacks Rank model. And, based on the above valuation metrics, we feel that DTE is likely the superior value option right now.


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