Back to top

Image: Bigstock

BCS vs. TD: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors interested in Banks - Foreign stocks are likely familiar with Barclays (BCS - Free Report) and Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD - 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 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, Barclays has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Toronto-Dominion Bank has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that BCS is likely seeing its earnings outlook improve to a greater extent. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.

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 Style Score Value grade factors in a variety of key fundamental metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a number of other key stats that are commonly used by value investors.

BCS currently has a forward P/E ratio of 6.43, while TD has a forward P/E of 9.73. We also note that BCS has a PEG ratio of 0.32. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. TD currently has a PEG ratio of 1.27.

Another notable valuation metric for BCS is its P/B ratio of 0.40. 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, TD has a P/B of 1.61.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to BCS's Value grade of A and TD's Value grade of C.

BCS 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 BCS is likely the superior value option right now.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


Barclays PLC (BCS) - free report >>

Toronto Dominion Bank (The) (TD) - free report >>

Published in