Investors interested in Utility - Electric Power stocks are likely familiar with DTE Energy (DTE) and NextEra Energy (NEE). But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.

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 Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Currently, both DTE Energy and NextEra Energy are holding a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy). This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that these stocks have improving earnings outlooks. 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.

DTE currently has a forward P/E ratio of 18.43, while NEE has a forward P/E of 23.25. We also note that DTE has a PEG ratio of 2.25. 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. NEE currently has a PEG ratio of 2.86.

Another notable valuation metric for DTE is its P/B ratio of 2.22. 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 2.74.

These metrics, and several others, help DTE earn a Value grade of B, while NEE has been given a Value grade of D.

Both DTE and NEE are impressive stocks with solid earnings outlooks, but based on these valuation figures, we feel that DTE is the superior value option right now.

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DTE Energy Company (DTE) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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