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KRT or PKG: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors interested in stocks from the Containers - Paper and Packaging sector have probably already heard of Karat Packing (KRT - Free Report) and Packaging Corp. (PKG - 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 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.

Right now, Karat Packing is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Packaging Corp. has a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell). This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that KRT is likely seeing its earnings outlook improve to a greater extent. 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.

Our Value category highlights undervalued companies by looking at a variety of key metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, as well as the P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that have been used by value investors for years.

KRT currently has a forward P/E ratio of 13.54, while PKG has a forward P/E of 20.18. We also note that KRT has a PEG ratio of 1.20. This popular figure is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also considers a company's expected EPS growth rate. PKG currently has a PEG ratio of 1.97.

Another notable valuation metric for KRT is its P/B ratio of 3.52. 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, PKG has a P/B of 4.23.

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

KRT 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 KRT is likely the superior value option right now.

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