Back to top

Image: Bigstock

BTSG or ALHC: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors interested in Medical Services stocks are likely familiar with BrightSpring Health Services, Inc. (BTSG - Free Report) and Alignment Healthcare (ALHC - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? 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 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, BrightSpring Health Services, Inc. is sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), while Alignment Healthcare has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). This means that BTSG'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 analyze a variety of traditional, tried-and-true metrics to help find companies 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.

BTSG currently has a forward P/E ratio of 26.80, while ALHC has a forward P/E of 104.22. We also note that BTSG has a PEG ratio of 0.57. 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. ALHC currently has a PEG ratio of 2.74.

Another notable valuation metric for BTSG is its P/B ratio of 4.15. 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, ALHC has a P/B of 20.94.

Based on these metrics and many more, BTSG holds a Value grade of B, while ALHC has a Value grade of C.

BTSG sticks out from ALHC in both our Zacks Rank and Style Scores models, so value investors will likely feel that BTSG is the better 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