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DEI vs. CUBE: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors looking for stocks in the REIT and Equity Trust - Other sector might want to consider either Douglas Emmett (DEI - Free Report) or CubeSmart (CUBE - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's 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.

Douglas Emmett and CubeSmart are sporting Zacks Ranks of #2 (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 DEI has 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.

DEI currently has a forward P/E ratio of 8.13, while CUBE has a forward P/E of 15.56. We also note that DEI has a PEG ratio of 5.98. 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. CUBE currently has a PEG ratio of 6.93.

Another notable valuation metric for DEI is its P/B ratio of 0.56. 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, CUBE has a P/B of 3.4.

These metrics, and several others, help DEI earn a Value grade of A, while CUBE has been given a Value grade of D.

DEI 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 DEI is likely the superior value option right now.

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