If you are uncertain whether to invest your hard-earned money in stocks or bonds, a key parameter that can show you the right direction is earnings yield. It is the reciprocal of the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio. This ratio is useful for figuring out undervalued stocks. Also, this ratio is effective for comparing stocks with the market or fixed income securities.

Earnings yield can be calculated as (annual earnings per share/market price) x 100. While comparing similar stocks, the one with high earnings yield should give higher returns.

This ratio can be used for comparing the performance of the market with the 10-year Treasury yield. When the yield of the market index is higher than the 10-year Treasury yield, stocks can be said to be undervalued in comparison to bonds. This means that investing in the stock market is a better choice for a value investor.

However, while T-bills are free of risks, investing in stocks always involves some inherent risks. Hence, it will be wise to add a risk premium to the Treasury yield while making comparison with the earnings yield of a stock or the broader market.

The Winning Strategy

We have set Earnings Yield greater than 10% as our primary screening criterion but it alone cannot be used for picking stocks that have the potential to generate solid returns. So, we have added the following parameters to the screen:

Estimated EPS growth for the next 12 months greater than or equal to the S&P 500: This metric compares the 12-month forward EPS estimate with the 12-month actual EPS.

Average Daily Volume (20 Day) greater than or equal to 100,000: High trading volume implies that a stock has adequate liquidity.

Current Price greater than or equal to $5.

Buy-Rated Stocks: Stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) have been known to outperform peers in any type of market environment. 

Here are four of the 25 stocks that made it through the screen:

New York-based, Citigroup Inc. (C - Free Report) is a globally diversified financial services holding company. It has a Zacks Rank #2 and an expected EPS growth rate of 11.4% for the next 3-5 years.

Vonore, TN-based MCBC Holdings, Inc. (MCFT - Free Report) is engaged in designing, manufacturing and marketing recreational powerboats. It has a Zacks Rank #1 and an expected EPS growth rate of 15% for the next 3-5 years.

Hamilton, Bermuda-based Essent Group Ltd. (ESNT - Free Report) operates as a private mortgage insurance company. It has a Zacks Rank #2 and an expected EPS growth rate of 10% for the next 3-5 years.

Providence, RI-based Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (CFG - Free Report) is a retail bank holding company. It has a Zacks Rank #2 and an expected EPS growth rate of 15.5% for the next 3-5 years.

You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for a 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard stock picking and backtesting software. You can also create your own strategies and test them first before making investments.