Yahoo Finance HOLX vs. EW: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?
Investors interested in stocks from the Medical - Instruments sector have probably already heard of Hologic (HOLX) and Edwards Lifesciences (EW). 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 emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.
Hologic and Edwards Lifesciences are sporting Zacks Ranks of #2 (Buy) and #3 (Hold), respectively, right now. This means that HOLX's earnings estimate revision activity has been more impressive, so investors should feel comfortable with its improving analyst outlook. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.
Value investors also try to analyze a wide range of traditional figures and metrics to help determine whether a company is undervalued at its 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.
HOLX currently has a forward P/E ratio of 17.56, while EW has a forward P/E of 32.88. We also note that HOLX has a PEG ratio of 2.39. 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. EW currently has a PEG ratio of 3.33.
Another notable valuation metric for HOLX is its P/B ratio of 3.45. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, EW has a P/B of 7.64.
These metrics, and several others, help HOLX earn a Value grade of B, while EW has been given a Value grade of D.
HOLX 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 HOLX is likely the superior value option right now.
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Hologic, Inc. (HOLX) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (EW) : Free Stock Analysis Report
