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SAN vs. NRDBY: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors with an interest in Banks - Foreign stocks have likely encountered both Banco Santander (SAN - Free Report) and Nordea Bank AB (NRDBY - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's 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.

Banco Santander has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Nordea Bank AB has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now. This means that SAN's earnings estimate revision activity has been more impressive, so investors should feel comfortable with its improving analyst outlook. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

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.

SAN currently has a forward P/E ratio of 10.06, while NRDBY has a forward P/E of 10.11. We also note that SAN has a PEG ratio of 0.81. 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. NRDBY currently has a PEG ratio of 3.27.

Another notable valuation metric for SAN is its P/B ratio of 1.22. 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, NRDBY has a P/B of 1.65.

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

SAN 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 SAN is likely the superior value option right now.


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Banco Santander, S.A. (SAN) - free report >>

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