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TGT vs. ROST: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in stocks from the Retail - Discount Stores sector have probably already heard of Target (TGT - Free Report) and Ross Stores (ROST - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors? We'll need to take a closer look to find out.

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 proven Zacks Rank emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Right now, Target is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Ross Stores has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that TGT has an improving earnings outlook. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.

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.

TGT currently has a forward P/E ratio of 18.40, while ROST has a forward P/E of 31.54. We also note that TGT has a PEG ratio of 2.51. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. ROST currently has a PEG ratio of 2.74.

Another notable valuation metric for TGT is its P/B ratio of 4.28. 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, ROST has a P/B of 12.48.

These metrics, and several others, help TGT earn a Value grade of B, while ROST has been given a Value grade of D.

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

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