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SSUMY vs. HTHIY: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors with an interest in Diversified Operations stocks have likely encountered both Sumitomo Corp. (SSUMY - Free Report) and Hitachi Ltd. (HTHIY - 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 Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Currently, both Sumitomo Corp. and Hitachi Ltd. are holding a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy). This means that both companies have witnessed positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that both of these stocks have an improving earnings outlook. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

Value investors also tend to look at a number of traditional, tried-and-true figures to help them find stocks that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

Our Value category grades stocks based on a number of key metrics, including the tried-and-true P/E ratio, the P/S ratio, earnings yield, and cash flow per share, as well as a variety of other fundamentals that value investors frequently use.

SSUMY currently has a forward P/E ratio of 7.16, while HTHIY has a forward P/E of 26.44. We also note that SSUMY has a PEG ratio of 0.94. 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. HTHIY currently has a PEG ratio of 1.26.

Another notable valuation metric for SSUMY is its P/B ratio of 1.73. 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, HTHIY has a P/B of 3.86.

Based on these metrics and many more, SSUMY holds a Value grade of A, while HTHIY has a Value grade of C.

Both SSUMY and HTHIY are impressive stocks with solid earnings outlooks, but based on these valuation figures, we feel that SSUMY is the superior value option right now.

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