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UBS or WBK: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors with an interest in Banks - Foreign stocks have likely encountered both UBS (UBS - Free Report) and Westpac Banking Corporation . 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 emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

UBS and Westpac Banking Corporation are sporting Zacks Ranks of #2 (Buy) and #4 (Sell), respectively, right now. This means that UBS's earnings estimate revision activity has been more impressive, so investors should feel comfortable with its improving analyst outlook. But this is only part of the picture 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 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.

UBS currently has a forward P/E ratio of 9.90, while WBK has a forward P/E of 13.33. We also note that UBS has a PEG ratio of 2.81. 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. WBK currently has a PEG ratio of 3.01.

Another notable valuation metric for UBS is its P/B ratio of 0.88. 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, WBK has a P/B of 1.29.

Based on these metrics and many more, UBS holds a Value grade of A, while WBK has a Value grade of D.

UBS 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 UBS is likely the superior value option right now.


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