Back to top

Image: Bigstock

VIRT vs. CRCL: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors with an interest in Financial - Miscellaneous Services stocks have likely encountered both Virtu Financial (VIRT - Free Report) and Circle Internet Group, Inc. (CRCL - 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 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.

Virtu Financial has a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), while Circle Internet Group, Inc. has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now. This means that VIRT's earnings estimate revision activity has been more impressive, so investors should feel comfortable with its improving analyst outlook. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

Value investors analyze a variety of traditional, tried-and-true metrics to help find companies 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.

VIRT currently has a forward P/E ratio of 8.51, while CRCL has a forward P/E of 113.68. We also note that VIRT has a PEG ratio of 3.26. 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. CRCL currently has a PEG ratio of 4.74.

Another notable valuation metric for VIRT is its P/B ratio of 3.7. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, CRCL has a P/B of 6.99.

These metrics, and several others, help VIRT earn a Value grade of B, while CRCL has been given a Value grade of F.

VIRT stands above CRCL thanks to its solid earnings outlook, and based on these valuation figures, we also feel that VIRT 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