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SIMO vs. LSCC: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

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Investors interested in Electronics - Semiconductors stocks are likely familiar with Silicon Motion (SIMO - Free Report) and Lattice Semiconductor (LSCC - 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.

We have found that the best way to discover great value opportunities is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with a great grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. 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.

Right now, Silicon Motion is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Lattice Semiconductor has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). This means that SIMO's earnings estimate revision activity has been more impressive, so investors should feel comfortable with its improving analyst outlook. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

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.

SIMO currently has a forward P/E ratio of 12.18, while LSCC has a forward P/E of 60.86. We also note that SIMO has a PEG ratio of 1.52. 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. LSCC currently has a PEG ratio of 6.09.

Another notable valuation metric for SIMO is its P/B ratio of 3.69. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, LSCC has a P/B of 18.40.

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

SIMO is currently sporting an improving earnings outlook, which makes it stick out in our Zacks Rank model. And, based on the above valuation metrics, we feel that SIMO is likely the superior value option right now.


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