HUN vs. ALB: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

Investors looking for stocks in the Chemical – Diversified sector might want to consider either Huntsman (HUN) or Albemarle (ALB). But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? 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.

Huntsman and Albemarle are sporting Zacks Ranks of #2 (Buy) and #3 (Hold), respectively, right now. This means that HUN's earnings estimate revision activity has been more impressive, so investors should feel comfortable with its improving analyst outlook. But this is only part of the picture for value investors.

Value investors also try to analyze a wide range of traditional figures and metrics to help determine whether a company is undervalued at its 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.

HUN currently has a forward P/E ratio of 10.14, while ALB has a forward P/E of 65.59. We also note that HUN has a PEG ratio of 0.18. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. ALB currently has a PEG ratio of 3.04.

Another notable valuation metric for HUN is its P/B ratio of 1.86. 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, ALB has a P/B of 4.29.

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

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

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Huntsman Corporation (HUN) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
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By Matt Earle

Matthew Earle is the Founder of MiningFeeds. In 2005, Matt founded MiningNerds.com to provide data and information to the mining investment community. This site was merged with Highgrade Review to form MiningFeeds. Matt has a B.Sc. degree with a minor in geology from the University of Toronto.

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