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WEX vs. V: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors looking for stocks in the Financial Transaction Services sector might want to consider either Wex (WEX - Free Report) or 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.

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 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.

Currently, Wex has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Visa has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). Investors should feel comfortable knowing that WEX likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than V has recently. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.

Value investors are also interested in a number of tried-and-true valuation metrics that help show when a company is undervalued at its 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.

WEX currently has a forward P/E ratio of 9.78, while V has a forward P/E of 26.83. We also note that WEX has a PEG ratio of 1.16. 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. V currently has a PEG ratio of 2.04.

Another notable valuation metric for WEX is its P/B ratio of 5.35. 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, V has a P/B of 16.7.

These metrics, and several others, help WEX earn a Value grade of A, 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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