Investors interested in stocks from the Shoes and Retail Apparel sector have probably already heard of Skechers (SKX) and Birkenstock (BIRK). 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 Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Skechers and Birkenstock are sporting Zacks Ranks of #2 (Buy) and #3 (Hold), respectively, right now. This means that SKX's earnings estimate revision activity has been more impressive, so investors should feel comfortable with its improving analyst outlook. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

Value investors analyze a variety of traditional, tried-and-true metrics to help find companies that they believe are undervalued at their 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.

SKX currently has a forward P/E ratio of 15.73, while BIRK has a forward P/E of 33.83. We also note that SKX has a PEG ratio of 0.93. 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. BIRK currently has a PEG ratio of 1.19.

Another notable valuation metric for SKX is its P/B ratio of 2.38. 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, BIRK has a P/B of 3.95.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to SKX's Value grade of B and BIRK's Value grade of D.

SKX 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 SKX is likely the superior value option right now.

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Skechers U.S.A., Inc. (SKX) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Birkenstock Holding PLC (BIRK) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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