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EIX vs. CLPHY: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors looking for stocks in the Utility - Electric Power sector might want to consider either Edison International (EIX - Free Report) or CLP Holdings Ltd. (CLPHY - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? 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 favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Edison International has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while CLP Holdings Ltd. has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now. The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that EIX has an improving earnings 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.

EIX currently has a forward P/E ratio of 12.84, while CLPHY has a forward P/E of 17.86. We also note that EIX has a PEG ratio of 6.12. 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. CLPHY currently has a PEG ratio of 6.57.

Another notable valuation metric for EIX is its P/B ratio of 1.61. 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, CLPHY has a P/B of 1.68.

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

EIX 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 EIX is likely the superior value option right now.

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