Back to top

Image: Bigstock

PRDO vs. PWSC: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors with an interest in Schools stocks have likely encountered both Perdoceo Education (PRDO - Free Report) and PowerSchool Holdings (PWSC - 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 proven Zacks Rank emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Perdoceo Education and PowerSchool Holdings are sporting Zacks Ranks of #2 (Buy) and #3 (Hold), respectively, right now. Investors should feel comfortable knowing that PRDO likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than PWSC has recently. 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.

The Style Score Value grade factors in a variety of key fundamental metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a number of other key stats that are commonly used by value investors.

PRDO currently has a forward P/E ratio of 7.98, while PWSC has a forward P/E of 16.93. We also note that PRDO has a PEG ratio of 0.53. This figure is similar to the commonly-used P/E ratio, with the PEG ratio also factoring in a company's expected earnings growth rate. PWSC currently has a PEG ratio of 2.11.

Another notable valuation metric for PRDO is its P/B ratio of 1.12. 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, PWSC has a P/B of 1.49.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to PRDO's Value grade of A and PWSC's Value grade of D.

PRDO 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 PRDO is likely the superior value option right now.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


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


Perdoceo Education Corporation (PRDO) - free report >>

PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. (PWSC) - free report >>

Published in