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BRC or ALLE: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors looking for stocks in the Security and Safety Services sector might want to consider either Brady (BRC - Free Report) or Allegion (ALLE - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? 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 puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Currently, Brady has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Allegion has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). This means that BRC's earnings estimate revision activity has been more impressive, so investors should feel comfortable with its improving analyst outlook. 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.

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.

BRC currently has a forward P/E ratio of 15.15, while ALLE has a forward P/E of 17.87. We also note that BRC has a PEG ratio of 2.16. This figure is similar to the commonly-used P/E ratio, with the PEG ratio also factoring in a company's expected earnings growth rate. ALLE currently has a PEG ratio of 3.48.

Another notable valuation metric for BRC is its P/B ratio of 2.94. 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, ALLE has a P/B of 8.66.

These metrics, and several others, help BRC earn a Value grade of B, while ALLE has been given a Value grade of C.

BRC has seen stronger estimate revision activity and sports more attractive valuation metrics than ALLE, so it seems like value investors will conclude that BRC is the superior option right now.


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