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AIG vs. AXAHY: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors looking for stocks in the Insurance - Multi line sector might want to consider either American International Group (AIG - Free Report) or Axa Sa (AXAHY - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? 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 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, both American International Group and Axa Sa are sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that these stocks have improving earnings outlooks. 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.

AIG currently has a forward P/E ratio of 9.41, while AXAHY has a forward P/E of 10.35. We also note that AIG has a PEG ratio of 0.69. 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. AXAHY currently has a PEG ratio of 9.76.

Another notable valuation metric for AIG is its P/B ratio of 0.99. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, AXAHY has a P/B of 1.95.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to AIG's Value grade of A and AXAHY's Value grade of C.

Both AIG and AXAHY are impressive stocks with solid earnings outlooks, but based on these valuation figures, we feel that AIG is the superior value option right now.

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