Back to top

Image: Bigstock

ENS vs. ABBNY: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors interested in Manufacturing - Electronics stocks are likely familiar with EnerSys (ENS - Free Report) and ABB (ABBNY - 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.

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 proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

EnerSys and ABB are sporting Zacks Ranks of #2 (Buy) and #3 (Hold), respectively, right now. This means that ENS'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 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.

ENS currently has a forward P/E ratio of 14.64, while ABBNY has a forward P/E of 25.82. We also note that ENS has a PEG ratio of 0.98. 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. ABBNY currently has a PEG ratio of 1.32.

Another notable valuation metric for ENS is its P/B ratio of 3.63. 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, ABBNY has a P/B of 11.01.

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

ENS 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 ENS is likely the superior value option right now.

Published in