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ARCB vs. ODFL: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors with an interest in Transportation - Truck stocks have likely encountered both ArcBest (ARCB - Free Report) and Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's 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 emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

ArcBest and Old Dominion Freight Line are sporting Zacks Ranks of #2 (Buy) and #3 (Hold), respectively, right now. The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that ARCB has an improving earnings outlook. 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.

ARCB currently has a forward P/E ratio of 5.23, while ODFL has a forward P/E of 22.85. We also note that ARCB has a PEG ratio of 0.22. 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. ODFL currently has a PEG ratio of 1.27.

Another notable valuation metric for ARCB is its P/B ratio of 1.77. 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, ODFL has a P/B of 8.48.

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

ARCB stands above ODFL thanks to its solid earnings outlook, and based on these valuation figures, we also feel that ARCB is the superior value option right now.


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Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. (ODFL) - free report >>

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