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

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Investors interested in Medical - Dental Supplies stocks are likely familiar with Henry Schein (HSIC - Free Report) and Conmed (CNMD - 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.

Right now, both Henry Schein and Conmed are sporting a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy). This means that both companies have witnessed positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that both of these stocks have an improving earnings outlook. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

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.

HSIC currently has a forward P/E ratio of 20.64, while CNMD has a forward P/E of 45.06. We also note that HSIC has a PEG ratio of 2.08. 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. CNMD currently has a PEG ratio of 4.54.

Another notable valuation metric for HSIC is its P/B ratio of 2.84. 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, CNMD has a P/B of 5.70.

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

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


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