Investors interested in Mining – Gold stocks are likely familiar with B2Gold (BTG) and Franco-Nevada (FNV). But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let’s take a closer look.
The best way to find great value stocks is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. 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, B2Gold is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Franco-Nevada has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). Investors should feel comfortable knowing that BTG likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than FNV has recently. 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 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.
BTG currently has a forward P/E ratio of 14.55, while FNV has a forward P/E of 60.22. We also note that BTG has a PEG ratio of 0.75. 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. FNV currently has a PEG ratio of 15.05.
Another notable valuation metric for BTG is its P/B ratio of 3.23. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock’s market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, FNV has a P/B of 5.28.
These metrics, and several others, help BTG earn a Value grade of B, while FNV has been given a Value grade of F.
BTG 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 BTG is likely the superior value option right now.
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