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PRDO vs. STRA: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors looking for stocks in the Schools sector might want to consider either Perdoceo Education (PRDO - Free Report) or Strategic Education (STRA - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors? We'll need to take a closer look to find out.

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 puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Right now, Perdoceo Education is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Strategic Education 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 PRDO is likely seeing its earnings outlook improve to a greater extent. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

Value investors are also interested in a number of tried-and-true valuation metrics that help show when 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.

PRDO currently has a forward P/E ratio of 6.67, while STRA has a forward P/E of 26.36. We also note that PRDO has a PEG ratio of 0.44. 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. STRA currently has a PEG ratio of 1.39.

Another notable valuation metric for PRDO is its P/B ratio of 1.05. 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, STRA has a P/B of 1.25.

These metrics, and several others, help PRDO earn a Value grade of A, while STRA has been given a Value grade of C.

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


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