Investors looking for stocks in the Financial - Investment Management sector might want to consider either Invesco (IVZ Quick QuoteIVZ - Free Report) or Artisan Partners Asset Management (APAM Quick QuoteAPAM - 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.

There are plenty of strategies for discovering value stocks, but we have found that pairing a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system produces the best returns. 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.

Right now, both Invesco and Artisan Partners Asset Management are sporting 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.

IVZ currently has a forward P/E ratio of 9.13, while APAM has a forward P/E of 11.09. We also note that IVZ has a PEG ratio of 1.06. 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. APAM currently has a PEG ratio of 1.59.

Another notable valuation metric for IVZ is its P/B ratio of 0.90. 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, APAM has a P/B of 15.12.

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

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