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CDW vs. NOW: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

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Investors interested in stocks from the Computers - IT Services sector have probably already heard of CDW (CDW - Free Report) and ServiceNow (NOW - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.

There are plenty of strategies for discovering value stocks, but we have found that pairing a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system produces the best returns. The Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Currently, CDW has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while ServiceNow has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that CDW is likely seeing its earnings outlook improve to a greater extent. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.

Value investors analyze a variety of traditional, tried-and-true metrics to help find companies 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.

CDW currently has a forward P/E ratio of 18.40, while NOW has a forward P/E of 65.15. We also note that CDW has a PEG ratio of 1.40. 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. NOW currently has a PEG ratio of 2.28.

Another notable valuation metric for CDW is its P/B ratio of 21.72. 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, NOW has a P/B of 22.94.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to CDW's Value grade of B and NOW's Value grade of D.

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


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