SKM vs. TLSNY: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

Investors looking for stocks in the Wireless Non-US sector might want to consider either SK Telecom (SKM) or TeliaSonera AB (TLSNY). But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors? We'll need to take a closer look to find out.

We have found that the best way to discover great value opportunities is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with a great grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The proven Zacks Rank emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Currently, SK Telecom has a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), while TeliaSonera AB has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). Investors should feel comfortable knowing that SKM likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than TLSNY has recently. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

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.

SKM currently has a forward P/E ratio of 8.85, while TLSNY has a forward P/E of 22.39. We also note that SKM has a PEG ratio of 1.36. 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. TLSNY currently has a PEG ratio of 4.34.

Another notable valuation metric for SKM is its P/B ratio of 1.03. 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, TLSNY has a P/B of 2.63.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to SKM's Value grade of A and TLSNY's Value grade of C.

SKM stands above TLSNY thanks to its solid earnings outlook, and based on these valuation figures, we also feel that SKM is the superior value option right now.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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