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WEX or V: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors with an interest in Financial Transaction Services stocks have likely encountered both Wex (WEX - Free Report) and Visa (V - 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.

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.

Wex and Visa are sporting Zacks Ranks of #1 (Strong Buy) and #3 (Hold), respectively, right now. This means that WEX's earnings estimate revision activity has been more impressive, so investors should feel comfortable with its improving analyst outlook. But this is just one piece of the puzzle 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.

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.

WEX currently has a forward P/E ratio of 10.91, while V has a forward P/E of 29.08. We also note that WEX has a PEG ratio of 1.38. 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. V currently has a PEG ratio of 2.21.

Another notable valuation metric for WEX is its P/B ratio of 5.95. 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, V has a P/B of 16.21.

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

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


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