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UMBF or CBSH: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors looking for stocks in the Banks - Midwest sector might want to consider either UMB Financial (UMBF - Free Report) or Commerce Bancshares (CBSH - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.

Everyone has their own methods for finding great value opportunities, but our model includes pairing an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system with a strong Zacks Rank. 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, UMB Financial is sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), while Commerce Bancshares has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). This means that UMBF'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 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.

UMBF currently has a forward P/E ratio of 10.26, while CBSH has a forward P/E of 12.72. We also note that UMBF has a PEG ratio of 0.89. 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. CBSH currently has a PEG ratio of 3.56.

Another notable valuation metric for UMBF is its P/B ratio of 1.32. 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, CBSH has a P/B of 1.77.

These metrics, and several others, help UMBF earn a Value grade of B, while CBSH has been given a Value grade of C.

UMBF has seen stronger estimate revision activity and sports more attractive valuation metrics than CBSH, so it seems like value investors will conclude that UMBF is the superior option right now.

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