Back to top

Image: Bigstock

XP vs. MCO: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors with an interest in Financial - Miscellaneous Services stocks have likely encountered both XP Inc.A (XP - Free Report) and Moody's (MCO - 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.

XP Inc.A and Moody's are sporting Zacks Ranks of #1 (Strong Buy) and #3 (Hold), respectively, right now. The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that XP has an improving earnings outlook. But this is only part of the picture for value investors.

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.

XP currently has a forward P/E ratio of 9.53, while MCO has a forward P/E of 25.91. We also note that XP has a PEG ratio of 0.63. 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. MCO currently has a PEG ratio of 2.24.

Another notable valuation metric for XP is its P/B ratio of 2.45. The P/B is a method of comparing a stock's market value to its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, MCO has a P/B of 18.36.

These metrics, and several others, help XP earn a Value grade of A, while MCO has been given a Value grade of F.

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

Zacks' 7 Best Strong Buy Stocks (New Research Report)

Valued at $99, click below to receive our just-released report predicting the 7 stocks that will soar highest in the coming month.

Click Here, It's Really Free

Published in