Back to top

Image: Bigstock

BMA vs. ITUB: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors looking for stocks in the Banks - Foreign sector might want to consider either Banco Macro (BMA - Free Report) or Banco Itau (ITUB - 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 Zacks Rank is a proven strategy that targets companies with positive earnings estimate revision trends, while our Style Scores work to grade companies based on specific traits.

Banco Macro and Banco Itau are sporting Zacks Ranks of #1 (Strong Buy) and #3 (Hold), respectively, right now. This means that BMA'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 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 highlights undervalued companies by looking at a variety of key metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, as well as the P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that have been used by value investors for years.

BMA currently has a forward P/E ratio of 7.94, while ITUB has a forward P/E of 9.36. We also note that BMA has a PEG ratio of 0.30. This figure is similar to the commonly-used P/E ratio, with the PEG ratio also factoring in a company's expected earnings growth rate. ITUB currently has a PEG ratio of 1.15.

Another notable valuation metric for BMA is its P/B ratio of 1.21. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, ITUB has a P/B of 1.96.

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

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


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. (ITUB) - free report >>

Macro Bank Inc. (BMA) - free report >>

Published in