WAL or BOH: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?
Investors with an interest in Banks - West stocks have likely encountered both Western Alliance (WAL) and Bank of Hawaii (BOH). 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.
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.
Currently, both Western Alliance and Bank of Hawaii are holding 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 are also interested in a number of tried-and-true valuation metrics that help show when a company is undervalued at its 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.
WAL currently has a forward P/E ratio of 9.53, while BOH has a forward P/E of 14.67. We also note that WAL has a PEG ratio of 0.84. This figure is similar to the commonly-used P/E ratio, with the PEG ratio also factoring in a company's expected earnings growth rate. BOH currently has a PEG ratio of 1.96.
Another notable valuation metric for WAL is its P/B ratio of 1.81. 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, BOH has a P/B of 2.70.
Based on these metrics and many more, WAL holds a Value grade of B, while BOH has a Value grade of C.
Both WAL and BOH are impressive stocks with solid earnings outlooks, but based on these valuation figures, we feel that WAL is the superior value option right now.
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Western Alliance Bancorporation (WAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Bank of Hawaii Corporation (BOH) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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