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VRNT vs. PEGA: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

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Investors interested in Computer - Software stocks are likely familiar with Verint Systems (VRNT - Free Report) and Pegasystems (PEGA - Free Report) . 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 Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Currently, Verint Systems has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Pegasystems has a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell). This means that VRNT's earnings estimate revision activity has been more impressive, so investors should feel comfortable with its improving analyst outlook. But this is only part of the picture for value investors.

Value investors analyze a variety of traditional, tried-and-true metrics to help find companies 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.

VRNT currently has a forward P/E ratio of 14.60, while PEGA has a forward P/E of 53.79. We also note that VRNT has a PEG ratio of 1.46. This popular figure is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also considers a company's expected EPS growth rate. PEGA currently has a PEG ratio of 6.72.

Another notable valuation metric for VRNT is its P/B ratio of 2.49. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, PEGA has a P/B of 7.41.

These metrics, and several others, help VRNT earn a Value grade of B, while PEGA has been given a Value grade of D.

VRNT stands above PEGA thanks to its solid earnings outlook, and based on these valuation figures, we also feel that VRNT is the superior value option right now.


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