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HOLX vs. SONVY: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in Medical - Instruments stocks are likely familiar with Hologic (HOLX - Free Report) and SONOVA HOLDING (SONVY - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? 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 is a proven strategy that targets companies with positive earnings estimate revision trends, while our Style Scores work to grade companies based on specific traits.

Right now, Hologic is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while SONOVA HOLDING 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 HOLX has an improving earnings outlook. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

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 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.

HOLX currently has a forward P/E ratio of 21.85, while SONVY has a forward P/E of 23.93. We also note that HOLX has a PEG ratio of 1.44. 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. SONVY currently has a PEG ratio of 2.52.

Another notable valuation metric for HOLX is its P/B ratio of 3.91. 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, SONVY has a P/B of 7.45.

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

HOLX 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 HOLX is likely the superior value option right now.


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