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LTH vs. MTN: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

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Investors interested in stocks from the Leisure and Recreation Services sector have probably already heard of Life Time Group Holdings, Inc. (LTH - Free Report) and Vail Resorts (MTN - 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.

Life Time Group Holdings, Inc. has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Vail Resorts has a Zacks Rank of #5 (Strong Sell) right now. This means that LTH'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 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.

LTH currently has a forward P/E ratio of 20.41, while MTN has a forward P/E of 25.34. We also note that LTH has a PEG ratio of 1.25. 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. MTN currently has a PEG ratio of 10.26.

Another notable valuation metric for LTH is its P/B ratio of 2.33. 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, MTN has a P/B of 6.71.

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

LTH 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 LTH is likely the superior value option right now.

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