Back to top

Image: Bigstock

ACI or LRLCY: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors looking for stocks in the Consumer Products - Staples sector might want to consider either Albertsons Companies, Inc. (ACI - Free Report) or L'Oreal SA (LRLCY - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's take a closer look.

We have found that the best way to discover great value opportunities is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with a great grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while L'Oreal SA has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now. Investors should feel comfortable knowing that ACI likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than LRLCY has recently. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

Value investors also try to analyze a wide range of traditional figures and metrics to help determine whether a company is undervalued at its 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.

ACI currently has a forward P/E ratio of 6.58, while LRLCY has a forward P/E of 27.98. We also note that ACI has a PEG ratio of 1.59. 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. LRLCY currently has a PEG ratio of 3.16.

Another notable valuation metric for ACI is its P/B ratio of 4.16. 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, LRLCY has a P/B of 6.03.

Based on these metrics and many more, ACI holds a Value grade of A, while LRLCY has a Value grade of D.

ACI stands above LRLCY thanks to its solid earnings outlook, and based on these valuation figures, we also feel that ACI is the superior value option right now.

Published in