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LMT vs. HWM: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors with an interest in Aerospace - Defense stocks have likely encountered both Lockheed Martin (LMT - Free Report) and Howmet (HWM - 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 emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Lockheed Martin has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Howmet has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now. Investors should feel comfortable knowing that LMT likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than HWM has recently. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.

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.

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.

LMT currently has a forward P/E ratio of 17.67, while HWM has a forward P/E of 53.87. We also note that LMT has a PEG ratio of 0.95. 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. HWM currently has a PEG ratio of 2.27.

Another notable valuation metric for LMT is its P/B ratio of 16.3. 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, HWM has a P/B of 18.49.

Based on these metrics and many more, LMT holds a Value grade of B, while HWM has a Value grade of F.

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

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