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SPPJY or KLBAY: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors with an interest in Paper and Related Products stocks have likely encountered both Sappi Ltd. (SPPJY - Free Report) and Klabin SA (KLBAY - 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 Zacks Rank is a proven strategy that targets companies with positive earnings estimate revision trends, while our Style Scores work to grade companies based on specific traits.

Currently, both Sappi Ltd. and Klabin SA are holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Investors should feel comfortable knowing that both of these stocks have an improving earnings outlook since the Zacks Rank favors companies that have witnessed positive analyst estimate revisions. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

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.

SPPJY currently has a forward P/E ratio of 10.90, while KLBAY has a forward P/E of 26.22. We also note that SPPJY has a PEG ratio of 0.29. 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. KLBAY currently has a PEG ratio of 1.68.

Another notable valuation metric for SPPJY is its P/B ratio of 0.28. 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, KLBAY has a P/B of 7.08.

These metrics, and several others, help SPPJY earn a Value grade of A, while KLBAY has been given a Value grade of C.

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

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