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VNTR vs. MTX: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors looking for stocks in the Chemical - Specialty sector might want to consider either Ventator Materials or Minerals Technologies (MTX - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.

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.

Ventator Materials and Minerals Technologies are sporting Zacks Ranks of #2 (Buy) and #4 (Sell), respectively, right now. This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that VNTR 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 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.

The Style Score Value grade factors in a variety of key fundamental metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a number of other key stats that are commonly used by value investors.

VNTR currently has a forward P/E ratio of 4.68, while MTX has a forward P/E of 15.08. We also note that VNTR has a PEG ratio of 0.38. 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. MTX currently has a PEG ratio of 1.84.

Another notable valuation metric for VNTR is its P/B ratio of 1.32. 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, MTX has a P/B of 2.02.

These metrics, and several others, help VNTR earn a Value grade of A, while MTX has been given a Value grade of C.

VNTR 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 VNTR is likely the superior value option right now.


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