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RNR vs. KNSL: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in Insurance - Property and Casualty stocks are likely familiar with RenaissanceRe (RNR - Free Report) and Kinsale Capital Group, Inc. (KNSL - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks offers value investors a better bang for their buck right now? We'll need to take a closer look.

There are plenty of strategies for discovering value stocks, but we have found that pairing a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system produces the best returns. The proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Right now, RenaissanceRe is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Kinsale Capital Group, Inc. has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that RNR is likely seeing its earnings outlook improve to a greater extent. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

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.

RNR currently has a forward P/E ratio of 7.79, while KNSL has a forward P/E of 16.04. We also note that RNR has a PEG ratio of 0.68. 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. KNSL currently has a PEG ratio of 1.07.

Another notable valuation metric for RNR is its P/B ratio of 1.25. 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, KNSL has a P/B of 3.87.

Based on these metrics and many more, RNR holds a Value grade of A, while KNSL has a Value grade of C.

RNR 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 RNR is likely the superior value option right now.

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