Back to top

Image: Bigstock

GFI or RGLD: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors looking for stocks in the Mining - Gold sector might want to consider either Gold Fields (GFI - Free Report) or Royal Gold (RGLD - Free Report) . 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 proven Zacks Rank emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Gold Fields and Royal Gold are both sporting a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy) right now. The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that both of these companies have improving earnings outlooks. But this is only part of the picture 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.

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.

GFI currently has a forward P/E ratio of 15.35, while RGLD has a forward P/E of 30.34. We also note that GFI has a PEG ratio of 0.58. 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. RGLD currently has a PEG ratio of 1.25.

Another notable valuation metric for GFI is its P/B ratio of 3.21. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, RGLD has a P/B of 3.27.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to GFI's Value grade of A and RGLD's Value grade of D.

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


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


Gold Fields Limited (GFI) - free report >>

Royal Gold, Inc. (RGLD) - free report >>

Published in