Back to top

Image: Bigstock

MNTX or XYL: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors looking for stocks in the Manufacturing - General Industrial sector might want to consider either Manitex (MNTX - Free Report) or Xylem (XYL - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks offers value investors a better bang for their buck right now? We'll need to take a closer look.

Everyone has their own methods for finding great value opportunities, but our model includes pairing an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system with a strong Zacks Rank. The proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Currently, Manitex has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Xylem has a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell). This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that MNTX is likely seeing its earnings outlook improve to a greater extent. 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.

MNTX currently has a forward P/E ratio of 41.53, while XYL has a forward P/E of 50.79. We also note that MNTX has a PEG ratio of 4.15. 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. XYL currently has a PEG ratio of 4.23.

Another notable valuation metric for MNTX is its P/B ratio of 1.92. 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, XYL has a P/B of 8.01.

These metrics, and several others, help MNTX earn a Value grade of B, while XYL has been given a Value grade of C.

MNTX has seen stronger estimate revision activity and sports more attractive valuation metrics than XYL, so it seems like value investors will conclude that MNTX is the superior option right now.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


Manitex International, Inc. (MNTX) - free report >>

Xylem Inc. (XYL) - free report >>

Published in