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BDX or ALGN: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors with an interest in Medical - Dental Supplies stocks have likely encountered both Becton Dickinson (BDX - Free Report) and Align Technology (ALGN - 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 Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Becton Dickinson has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Align Technology has a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell) right now. The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that BDX 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.

BDX currently has a forward P/E ratio of 21.62, while ALGN has a forward P/E of 26.77. We also note that BDX has a PEG ratio of 3.26. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. ALGN currently has a PEG ratio of 3.70.

Another notable valuation metric for BDX is its P/B ratio of 2.81. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, ALGN has a P/B of 5.71.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to BDX's Value grade of B and ALGN's Value grade of C.

BDX 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 BDX is likely the superior value option right now.


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