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AXTA or NVZMY: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors with an interest in Chemical - Specialty stocks have likely encountered both Axalta Coating Systems (AXTA - Free Report) and Novozymes A/S (NVZMY - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's take a closer look.

The best way to find great value stocks is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Currently, Axalta Coating Systems has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Novozymes A/S has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). Investors should feel comfortable knowing that AXTA likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than NVZMY has recently. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.

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.

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.

AXTA currently has a forward P/E ratio of 17.51, while NVZMY has a forward P/E of 28.67. We also note that AXTA has a PEG ratio of 1.40. This popular figure is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also considers a company's expected EPS growth rate. NVZMY currently has a PEG ratio of 9.99.

Another notable valuation metric for AXTA is its P/B ratio of 4.47. 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, NVZMY has a P/B of 5.62.

Based on these metrics and many more, AXTA holds a Value grade of B, while NVZMY has a Value grade of F.

AXTA 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 AXTA is likely the superior value option right now.


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