Back to top

Image: Bigstock

SHO vs. NHI: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors interested in REIT and Equity Trust - Other stocks are likely familiar with Sunstone Hotel Investors (SHO - Free Report) and National Health Investors (NHI - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.

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 puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Both Sunstone Hotel Investors and National Health Investors have a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) right now. This means that both companies have witnessed positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that both of these stocks have an improving earnings 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.

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.

SHO currently has a forward P/E ratio of 10.04, while NHI has a forward P/E of 15.01. We also note that SHO has a PEG ratio of 2.51. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. NHI currently has a PEG ratio of 2.85.

Another notable valuation metric for SHO is its P/B ratio of 1.05. 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, NHI has a P/B of 2.43.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to SHO's Value grade of B and NHI's Value grade of C.

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


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. (SHO) - free report >>

National Health Investors, Inc. (NHI) - free report >>

Published in