Back to top

Image: Bigstock

ICLR vs. DOCS: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors with an interest in Medical Services stocks have likely encountered both Icon PLC (ICLR - Free Report) and Doximity (DOCS - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? 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 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.

Both Icon PLC and Doximity have a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy) right now. Investors should feel comfortable knowing that both of these stocks have an improving earnings outlook since the Zacks Rank favors companies that have witnessed positive analyst estimate revisions. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

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 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.

ICLR currently has a forward P/E ratio of 22.30, while DOCS has a forward P/E of 31.09. We also note that ICLR has a PEG ratio of 1.50. 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. DOCS currently has a PEG ratio of 3.02.

Another notable valuation metric for ICLR is its P/B ratio of 2.98. 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, DOCS has a P/B of 6.01.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to ICLR's Value grade of B and DOCS's Value grade of D.

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


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


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


ICON PLC (ICLR) - free report >>

Doximity, Inc. (DOCS) - free report >>

Published in