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ALOT or TRI: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors interested in Technology Services stocks are likely familiar with AstroNova (ALOT - Free Report) and Thomson Reuters (TRI - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors? We'll need to take a closer look to find out.

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 AstroNova and Thomson Reuters 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 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.

ALOT currently has a forward P/E ratio of 46.82, while TRI has a forward P/E of 48.46. We also note that ALOT has a PEG ratio of 3.90. 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. TRI currently has a PEG ratio of 4.03.

Another notable valuation metric for ALOT is its P/B ratio of 1.53. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, TRI has a P/B of 3.12.

Based on these metrics and many more, ALOT holds a Value grade of B, while TRI has a Value grade of F.

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


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