Back to top

Image: Bigstock

VTRU vs. BFAM: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors interested in stocks from the Schools sector have probably already heard of Vitru Limited (VTRU - Free Report) and Bright Horizons Family Solutions (BFAM - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? 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 proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Right now, Vitru Limited is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Bright Horizons Family Solutions 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 VTRU is likely seeing its earnings outlook improve to a greater extent. But this is just one piece of the puzzle 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.

VTRU currently has a forward P/E ratio of 16.58, while BFAM has a forward P/E of 74.37. We also note that VTRU has a PEG ratio of 0.56. 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. BFAM currently has a PEG ratio of 3.10.

Another notable valuation metric for VTRU is its P/B ratio of 1.63. 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, BFAM has a P/B of 7.78.

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

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


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


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


Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. (BFAM) - free report >>

Vitru Limited (VTRU) - free report >>

Published in