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ASO vs. POOL: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in stocks from the Leisure and Recreation Products sector have probably already heard of Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (ASO - Free Report) and Pool Corp. (POOL - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.

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 emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Right now, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Pool Corp. 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 ASO 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 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.

Our Value category grades stocks based on a number of key metrics, including the tried-and-true P/E ratio, the P/S ratio, earnings yield, and cash flow per share, as well as a variety of other fundamentals that value investors frequently use.

ASO currently has a forward P/E ratio of 6.41, while POOL has a forward P/E of 21.68. We also note that ASO has a PEG ratio of 0.51. 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. POOL currently has a PEG ratio of 3.70.

Another notable valuation metric for ASO is its P/B ratio of 2.33. The P/B is a method of comparing a stock's market value to its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, POOL has a P/B of 10.17.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to ASO's Value grade of A and POOL's Value grade of C.

ASO sticks out from POOL in both our Zacks Rank and Style Scores models, so value investors will likely feel that ASO is the better option right now.


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