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PDCO vs. COO: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors with an interest in Medical - Dental Supplies stocks have likely encountered both Patterson Cos. (PDCO - Free Report) and Cooper Cos. (COO - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors? We'll need to take a closer look to find out.

There are plenty of strategies for discovering value stocks, but we have found that pairing a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system produces the best returns. The proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Both Patterson Cos. and Cooper Cos. have a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy) right now. Investors should feel comfortable knowing that both of these stocks have an improving earnings outlook since the Zacks Rank favors companies that have witnessed positive analyst estimate revisions. 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.

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.

PDCO currently has a forward P/E ratio of 18.09, while COO has a forward P/E of 27.38. We also note that PDCO has a PEG ratio of 2.04. 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. COO currently has a PEG ratio of 2.74.

Another notable valuation metric for PDCO is its P/B ratio of 3.25. 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, COO has a P/B of 4.91.

Based on these metrics and many more, PDCO holds a Value grade of B, while COO has a Value grade of C.

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


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