Back to top

Image: Bigstock

ACM or BCKIY: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors interested in stocks from the Engineering - R and D Services sector have probably already heard of Aecom Technology (ACM - Free Report) and Babcock International Group PLC (BCKIY - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors? We'll need to take a closer look to find out.

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 emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Aecom Technology has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Babcock International Group PLC has a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell) right now. Investors should feel comfortable knowing that ACM likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than BCKIY has recently. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.

Value investors analyze a variety of traditional, tried-and-true metrics to help find companies 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.

ACM currently has a forward P/E ratio of 14.18, while BCKIY has a forward P/E of 19.76. We also note that ACM has a PEG ratio of 1.05. 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. BCKIY currently has a PEG ratio of 1.38.

Another notable valuation metric for ACM is its P/B ratio of 4.48. 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, BCKIY has a P/B of 8.58.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to ACM's Value grade of B and BCKIY's Value grade of C.

ACM stands above BCKIY thanks to its solid earnings outlook, and based on these valuation figures, we also feel that ACM is the superior value option right now.

Zacks' 7 Best Strong Buy Stocks (New Research Report)

Valued at $99, click below to receive our just-released report predicting the 7 stocks that will soar highest in the coming month.

Click Here, It's Really Free

Published in