Back to top

Image: Bigstock

ELV or HQY: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors with an interest in Medical Services stocks have likely encountered both Elevance Health (ELV - Free Report) and HealthEquity (HQY - 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 is a proven strategy that targets companies with positive earnings estimate revision trends, while our Style Scores work to grade companies based on specific traits.

Right now, both Elevance Health and HealthEquity are sporting a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy). This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that these stocks have improving earnings outlooks. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.

Value investors are also interested in a number of tried-and-true valuation metrics that help show when a company is undervalued at its current share price levels.

Our Value category highlights undervalued companies by looking at a variety of key metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, as well as the P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that have been used by value investors for years.

ELV currently has a forward P/E ratio of 12.78, while HQY has a forward P/E of 34.11. We also note that ELV has a PEG ratio of 1.06. 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. HQY currently has a PEG ratio of 1.24.

Another notable valuation metric for ELV is its P/B ratio of 2.89. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, HQY has a P/B of 3.16.

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

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


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


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


HealthEquity, Inc. (HQY) - free report >>

Elevance Health, Inc. (ELV) - free report >>

Published in