AES vs. NEE: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

Investors interested in Utility - Electric Power stocks are likely familiar with AES (AES) and NextEra Energy (NEE). 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.Everyone has their own methods for finding great value opportunities, but our model includes pairing an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system with a strong Zacks Rank. 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, AES is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while NextEra Energy 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 AES 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.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.AES currently has a forward P/E ratio of 5.90, while NEE has a forward P/E of 19.30. We also note that AES has a PEG ratio of 1.78. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. NEE currently has a PEG ratio of 2.48.Another notable valuation metric for AES is its P/B ratio of 1.15. 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, NEE has a P/B of 2.41.These are just a few of the metrics contributing to AES's Value grade of A and NEE's Value grade of D.AES stands above NEE thanks to its solid earnings outlook, and based on these valuation figures, we also feel that AES is the superior value option right now.7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 DaysJust released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +24.3% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report The AES Corporation (AES): Free Stock Analysis Report NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks