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UMC vs. NVMI: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in stocks from the Electronics - Semiconductors sector have probably already heard of United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC - Free Report) and Nova Ltd. (NVMI - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.

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 proven Zacks Rank emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Currently, United Microelectronics Corporation has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Nova Ltd. has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). This means that UMC's earnings estimate revision activity has been more impressive, so investors should feel comfortable with its improving analyst outlook. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.

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.

UMC currently has a forward P/E ratio of 9.19, while NVMI has a forward P/E of 27.48. We also note that UMC has a PEG ratio of 0.32. 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. NVMI currently has a PEG ratio of 0.85.

Another notable valuation metric for UMC is its P/B ratio of 2.67. 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, NVMI has a P/B of 7.44.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to UMC's Value grade of A and NVMI's Value grade of C.

UMC sticks out from NVMI in both our Zacks Rank and Style Scores models, so value investors will likely feel that UMC is the better option right now.


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