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MFG vs. NABZY: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

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Investors interested in Banks - Foreign stocks are likely familiar with Mizuho (MFG - Free Report) and National Australia Bank Ltd. (NABZY - 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.

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.

Right now, both Mizuho and National Australia Bank Ltd. are sporting 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. But this is only part of the picture for value investors.

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.

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.

MFG currently has a forward P/E ratio of 11.92, while NABZY has a forward P/E of 14.93. We also note that MFG has a PEG ratio of 0.96. 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. NABZY currently has a PEG ratio of 4.02.

Another notable valuation metric for MFG is its P/B ratio of 0.81. 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, NABZY has a P/B of 1.76.

These metrics, and several others, help MFG earn a Value grade of B, while NABZY has been given a Value grade of F.

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


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Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (MFG) - free report >>

National Australia Bank Ltd. (NABZY) - free report >>

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