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ABEV vs. STZ: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in Beverages - Alcohol stocks are likely familiar with Ambev (ABEV - Free Report) and Constellation Brands (STZ - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.

The best way to find great value stocks is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The proven Zacks Rank emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Ambev and Constellation Brands are sporting Zacks Ranks of #2 (Buy) and #4 (Sell), respectively, right now. This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that ABEV is likely seeing its earnings outlook improve to a greater extent. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.

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.

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.

ABEV currently has a forward P/E ratio of 14.29, while STZ has a forward P/E of 14.77. We also note that ABEV has a PEG ratio of 3.03. 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. STZ currently has a PEG ratio of 8.87.

Another notable valuation metric for ABEV is its P/B ratio of 2.42. 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, STZ has a P/B of 4.74.

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

ABEV 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 ABEV is likely the superior value option right now.


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