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HLN vs. ABT: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in stocks from the Medical - Products sector have probably already heard of Haleon PLC Sponsored ADR (HLN - Free Report) and Abbott (ABT - 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 Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Haleon PLC Sponsored ADR has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Abbott has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now. This means that HLN'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.

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.

HLN currently has a forward P/E ratio of 18.46, while ABT has a forward P/E of 21.87. We also note that HLN has a PEG ratio of 2.84. This figure is similar to the commonly-used P/E ratio, with the PEG ratio also factoring in a company's expected earnings growth rate. ABT currently has a PEG ratio of 4.30.

Another notable valuation metric for HLN is its P/B ratio of 1.86. 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, ABT has a P/B of 4.46.

These metrics, and several others, help HLN earn a Value grade of B, while ABT has been given a Value grade of C.

HLN 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 HLN is likely the superior value option right now.


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