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LXFR or NDSN: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors looking for stocks in the Manufacturing - General Industrial sector might want to consider either Luxfer (LXFR - Free Report) or Nordson (NDSN - 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.

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 puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Luxfer and Nordson are both sporting a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy) right now. Investors should feel comfortable knowing that both of these stocks have an improving earnings outlook since the Zacks Rank favors companies that have witnessed positive analyst estimate revisions. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

Value investors also try to analyze a wide range of traditional figures and metrics to help determine whether 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.

LXFR currently has a forward P/E ratio of 12.65, while NDSN has a forward P/E of 24.40. We also note that LXFR has a PEG ratio of 0.97. 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. NDSN currently has a PEG ratio of 1.88.

Another notable valuation metric for LXFR is its P/B ratio of 2.25. 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, NDSN has a P/B of 5.77.

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

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


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Nordson Corporation (NDSN) - free report >>

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