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FHI vs. CNS: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors with an interest in Financial - Investment Management stocks have likely encountered both Federated Hermes (FHI - Free Report) and Cohen & Steers Inc (CNS - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's 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 proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Currently, Federated Hermes has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Cohen & Steers Inc 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 FHI has an improving earnings outlook. 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.

FHI currently has a forward P/E ratio of 11.18, while CNS has a forward P/E of 22.18. We also note that FHI has a PEG ratio of 1.63. 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. CNS currently has a PEG ratio of 1.91.

Another notable valuation metric for FHI is its P/B ratio of 3.66. 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, CNS has a P/B of 6.14.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to FHI's Value grade of B and CNS's Value grade of F.

FHI 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 FHI is likely the superior value option right now.

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