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STRL or HWM: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors looking for stocks in the Engineering - R and D Services sector might want to consider either Sterling Infrastructure (STRL - Free Report) or Howmet (HWM - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.

We have found that the best way to discover great value opportunities is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with a great 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.

Currently, both Sterling Infrastructure and Howmet are holding a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy). Investors should feel comfortable knowing that both of these stocks have an improving earnings outlook since the Zacks Rank favors companies that have witnessed positive analyst estimate revisions. But this is only part of the picture 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 Style Score Value grade factors in a variety of key fundamental metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a number of other key stats that are commonly used by value investors.

STRL currently has a forward P/E ratio of 15.73, while HWM has a forward P/E of 27.33. We also note that STRL has a PEG ratio of 0.79. 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. HWM currently has a PEG ratio of 1.26.

Another notable valuation metric for STRL is its P/B ratio of 3.46. 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, HWM has a P/B of 5.22.

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

Both STRL and HWM are impressive stocks with solid earnings outlooks, but based on these valuation figures, we feel that STRL is the superior value option right now.


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Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. (STRL) - free report >>

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