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SYNH vs. FCHS: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors with an interest in Medical Services stocks have likely encountered both Syneos Health and First Choice Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (FCHS - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's 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 puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Syneos Health has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while First Choice Healthcare Solutions, Inc. has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now. This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that SYNH is likely seeing its earnings outlook improve to a greater extent. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.

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.

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.

SYNH currently has a forward P/E ratio of 18.19, while FCHS has a forward P/E of 21.33. We also note that SYNH has a PEG ratio of 1.04. 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. FCHS currently has a PEG ratio of 1.07.

Another notable valuation metric for SYNH is its P/B ratio of 1.74. 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, FCHS has a P/B of 2.16.

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

SYNH has seen stronger estimate revision activity and sports more attractive valuation metrics than FCHS, so it seems like value investors will conclude that SYNH is the superior option right now.


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