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PGR vs. KNSL: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors looking for stocks in the Insurance - Property and Casualty sector might want to consider either Progressive (PGR - Free Report) or Kinsale Capital Group, Inc. (KNSL - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? 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 puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Right now, Progressive is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Kinsale Capital Group, Inc. 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 PGR has an improving earnings outlook. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.

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.

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.

PGR currently has a forward P/E ratio of 13.82, while KNSL has a forward P/E of 24.54. We also note that PGR has a PEG ratio of 1.45. 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. KNSL currently has a PEG ratio of 1.65.

Another notable valuation metric for PGR is its P/B ratio of 4.34. 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, KNSL has a P/B of 6.03.

Based on these metrics and many more, PGR holds a Value grade of B, while KNSL has a Value grade of D.

PGR has seen stronger estimate revision activity and sports more attractive valuation metrics than KNSL, so it seems like value investors will conclude that PGR is the superior option right now.

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