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HSIC or MMSI: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors interested in stocks from the Medical - Dental Supplies sector have probably already heard of Henry Schein (HSIC - Free Report) and Merit Medical (MMSI - 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.

The best way to find great value stocks is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive 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.

Right now, Henry Schein is sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), while Merit Medical has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that HSIC has an improving earnings outlook. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

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.

HSIC currently has a forward P/E ratio of 15.48, while MMSI has a forward P/E of 27.18. We also note that HSIC has a PEG ratio of 1.91. 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. MMSI currently has a PEG ratio of 2.47.

Another notable valuation metric for HSIC is its P/B ratio of 2.73. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, MMSI has a P/B of 3.85.

Based on these metrics and many more, HSIC holds a Value grade of B, while MMSI has a Value grade of C.

HSIC has seen stronger estimate revision activity and sports more attractive valuation metrics than MMSI, so it seems like value investors will conclude that HSIC is the superior option right now.


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Henry Schein, Inc. (HSIC) - free report >>

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