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POR vs. PNW: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in stocks from the Utility - Electric Power sector have probably already heard of Portland General Electric (POR - Free Report) and Pinnacle West (PNW - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's take a closer look.

We have found that the best way to discover great value opportunities is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with a great 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.

Portland General Electric has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Pinnacle West has a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell) right now. Investors should feel comfortable knowing that POR likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than PNW has recently. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.

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.

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.

POR currently has a forward P/E ratio of 12.44, while PNW has a forward P/E of 19.66. We also note that POR has a PEG ratio of 3.72. 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. PNW currently has a PEG ratio of 9.27.

Another notable valuation metric for POR is its P/B ratio of 1.14. 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, PNW has a P/B of 1.55.

These metrics, and several others, help POR earn a Value grade of B, while PNW has been given a Value grade of C.

POR 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 POR is likely the superior value option right now.


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Pinnacle West Capital Corporation (PNW) - free report >>

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