Back to top

Image: Bigstock

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

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors interested in Engineering - R and D Services stocks are likely familiar with Sterling Infrastructure (STRL - Free Report) and Howmet (HWM - 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.

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.

Sterling Infrastructure has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Howmet has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now. The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that STRL has an improving earnings outlook. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

Value investors also tend to look at a number of traditional, tried-and-true figures to help them find stocks that they believe are undervalued at their 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.

STRL currently has a forward P/E ratio of 21.31, while HWM has a forward P/E of 30.48. We also note that STRL has a PEG ratio of 1.07. 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. HWM currently has a PEG ratio of 1.43.

Another notable valuation metric for STRL is its P/B ratio of 4.69. 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, HWM has a P/B of 5.84.

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

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


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


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

Howmet Aerospace Inc. (HWM) - free report >>

Published in