TGT vs. ROST: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

Investors interested in Retail - Discount Stores stocks are likely familiar with Target (TGT) and Ross Stores (ROST). But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's 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 favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Right now, Target is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Ross Stores has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). Investors should feel comfortable knowing that TGT likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than ROST has recently. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.

Value investors also tend to look at a number of traditional, tried-and-true figures to help them find stocks that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

Our Value category grades stocks based on a number of key metrics, including the tried-and-true P/E ratio, the P/S ratio, earnings yield, and cash flow per share, as well as a variety of other fundamentals that value investors frequently use.

TGT currently has a forward P/E ratio of 18.99, while ROST has a forward P/E of 24.39. We also note that TGT has a PEG ratio of 1.36. 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. ROST currently has a PEG ratio of 2.44.

Another notable valuation metric for TGT is its P/B ratio of 8.07. 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, ROST has a P/B of 9.90.

These metrics, and several others, help TGT earn a Value grade of B, while ROST has been given a Value grade of C.

TGT stands above ROST thanks to its solid earnings outlook, and based on these valuation figures, we also feel that TGT is the superior value option right now.

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Target Corporation (TGT) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Ross Stores, Inc. (ROST) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
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