FE or NEE: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?
Investors interested in stocks from the Utility - Electric Power sector have probably already heard of FirstEnergy (FE) and NextEra Energy (NEE). 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 Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.
Right now, FirstEnergy is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while NextEra Energy has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that FE has an improving earnings outlook. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.
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.
Our Value category highlights undervalued companies by looking at a variety of key metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, as well as the P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that have been used by value investors for years.
FE currently has a forward P/E ratio of 14.69, while NEE has a forward P/E of 22.34. We also note that FE has a PEG ratio of 2.50. 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. NEE currently has a PEG ratio of 2.60.
Another notable valuation metric for FE is its P/B ratio of 1.67. 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, NEE has a P/B of 2.65.
These are just a few of the metrics contributing to FE's Value grade of B and NEE's Value grade of D.
FE 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 FE is likely the superior value option right now.
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FirstEnergy Corporation (FE) : Free Stock Analysis Report
NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) : Free Stock Analysis Report