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RL vs. LULU: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in stocks from the Textile - Apparel sector have probably already heard of Ralph Lauren (RL - Free Report) and Lululemon (LULU - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's 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.

Both Ralph Lauren and Lululemon have a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy) right now. 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. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

Value investors are also interested in a number of tried-and-true valuation metrics that help show when 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.

RL currently has a forward P/E ratio of 18.83, while LULU has a forward P/E of 40.03. We also note that RL has a PEG ratio of 1.97. 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. LULU currently has a PEG ratio of 2.08.

Another notable valuation metric for RL is its P/B ratio of 2.99. The P/B is a method of comparing a stock's market value to its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, LULU has a P/B of 14.37.

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

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


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Ralph Lauren Corporation (RL) - free report >>

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