Investors looking for stocks in the Medical - Dental Supplies sector might want to consider either Becton Dickinson (BDX) or Merit Medical (MMSI). 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.
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 proven Zacks Rank emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.
Currently, both Becton Dickinson and Merit Medical are holding a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy). The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that both of these companies have improving earnings outlooks. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.
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.
BDX currently has a forward P/E ratio of 16.78, while MMSI has a forward P/E of 30.58. We also note that BDX has a PEG ratio of 1.80. 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. MMSI currently has a PEG ratio of 2.55.
Another notable valuation metric for BDX is its P/B ratio of 2.68. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, MMSI has a P/B of 4.51.
These metrics, and several others, help BDX earn a Value grade of B, while MMSI has been given a Value grade of C.
Both BDX and MMSI are impressive stocks with solid earnings outlooks, but based on these valuation figures, we feel that BDX is the superior value option right now.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
