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HCKT vs. IT: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in Consulting Services stocks are likely familiar with Hackett Group (HCKT - Free Report) and Gartner (IT - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? 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 Zacks Rank is a proven strategy that targets companies with positive earnings estimate revision trends, while our Style Scores work to grade companies based on specific traits.

Hackett Group and Gartner are both sporting a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy) right now. 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 only part of the picture 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.

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.

HCKT currently has a forward P/E ratio of 15.66, while IT has a forward P/E of 43.88. We also note that HCKT has a PEG ratio of 1.16. 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. IT currently has a PEG ratio of 3.25.

Another notable valuation metric for HCKT is its P/B ratio of 3.45. 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, IT has a P/B of 14.81.

Based on these metrics and many more, HCKT holds a Value grade of B, while IT has a Value grade of D.

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


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