PDCO vs. CNMD: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

CNMD PDCO

Investors looking for stocks in the Medical - Dental Supplies sector might want to consider either Patterson Cos. (PDCO - Free Report) or Conmed (CNMD - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? 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 emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Currently, Patterson Cos. has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Conmed has a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell). The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that PDCO has an improving earnings outlook. But this is only part of the picture 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.

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.

PDCO currently has a forward P/E ratio of 13.23, while CNMD has a forward P/E of 27.27. We also note that PDCO has a PEG ratio of 1.37. 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. CNMD currently has a PEG ratio of 2.22.

Another notable valuation metric for PDCO is its P/B ratio of 2.84. 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, CNMD has a P/B of 3.58.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to PDCO's Value grade of B and CNMD's Value grade of C.

PDCO sticks out from CNMD in both our Zacks Rank and Style Scores models, so value investors will likely feel that PDCO is the better option right now.

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