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TEL or BWXT: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors interested in stocks from the Electronics - Miscellaneous Components sector have probably already heard of TE Connectivity (TEL - Free Report) and BWX Technologies (BWXT - 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.

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.

Right now, TE Connectivity is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while BWX Technologies has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that TEL is likely seeing its earnings outlook improve to a greater extent. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

Value investors also try to analyze a wide range of traditional figures and metrics to help determine whether a company is undervalued at its 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.

TEL currently has a forward P/E ratio of 18.51, while BWXT has a forward P/E of 27.88. We also note that TEL has a PEG ratio of 2. 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. BWXT currently has a PEG ratio of 6.06.

Another notable valuation metric for TEL is its P/B ratio of 3.32. 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, BWXT has a P/B of 9.20.

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

TEL 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 TEL is likely the superior value option right now.


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