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AIMC vs. IR: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

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Investors interested in Manufacturing - General Industrial stocks are likely familiar with Altra Industrial Motion and Ingersoll Rand (IR - 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 Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Currently, both Altra Industrial Motion and Ingersoll Rand are holding a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy). Investors should feel comfortable knowing that both of these stocks have an improving earnings outlook since the Zacks Rank favors companies that have witnessed positive analyst estimate revisions. 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 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.

AIMC currently has a forward P/E ratio of 18.12, while IR has a forward P/E of 28.03. We also note that AIMC has a PEG ratio of 1.21. 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. IR currently has a PEG ratio of 3.53.

Another notable valuation metric for AIMC is its P/B ratio of 1.27. 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, IR has a P/B of 1.50.

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

Both AIMC and IR are impressive stocks with solid earnings outlooks, but based on these valuation figures, we feel that AIMC is the superior value option right now.


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