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LYG vs. MFG: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

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Investors looking for stocks in the Banks - Foreign sector might want to consider either Lloyds (LYG - Free Report) or Mizuho (MFG - 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 Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Right now, both Lloyds and Mizuho are sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Investors should feel comfortable knowing that both of these stocks have an improving earnings outlook since the Zacks Rank favors companies that have witnessed positive analyst estimate revisions. 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 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.

LYG currently has a forward P/E ratio of 10.62, while MFG has a forward P/E of 10.72. We also note that LYG has a PEG ratio of 0.62. This popular figure is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also considers a company's expected EPS growth rate. MFG currently has a PEG ratio of 0.78.

Another notable valuation metric for LYG is its P/B ratio of 1.07. 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, MFG has a P/B of 1.09.

Based on these metrics and many more, LYG holds a Value grade of B, while MFG has a Value grade of C.

Both LYG and MFG are impressive stocks with solid earnings outlooks, but based on these valuation figures, we feel that LYG is the superior value option right now.


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Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LYG) - free report >>

Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (MFG) - free report >>

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