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PINE vs. EGP: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in stocks from the REIT and Equity Trust - Other sector have probably already heard of Alpine Income (PINE - Free Report) and EastGroup Properties (EGP - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks offers value investors a better bang for their buck right now? We'll need to take a closer look.

The best way to find great value stocks is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive 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, Alpine Income is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while EastGroup Properties has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). This means that PINE'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 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.

The Style Score Value grade factors in a variety of key fundamental metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a number of other key stats that are commonly used by value investors.

PINE currently has a forward P/E ratio of 9.59, while EGP has a forward P/E of 22.21. We also note that PINE has a PEG ratio of 1.37. 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. EGP currently has a PEG ratio of 3.20.

Another notable valuation metric for PINE is its P/B ratio of 1.01. The P/B is a method of comparing a stock's market value to its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, EGP has a P/B of 3.2.

Based on these metrics and many more, PINE holds a Value grade of B, while EGP has a Value grade of D.

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

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