Back to top

Image: Bigstock

SLB vs. NPO: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors with an interest in Technology Services stocks have likely encountered both SLB (SLB - Free Report) and Enpro (NPO - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.

The best way to find great value stocks is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Currently, SLB has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Enpro has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that SLB is likely seeing its earnings outlook improve to a greater extent. But this is only part of the picture 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 Style Score Value grade factors in a variety of key fundamental metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a number of other key stats that are commonly used by value investors.

SLB currently has a forward P/E ratio of 17.72, while NPO has a forward P/E of 40.76. We also note that SLB has a PEG ratio of 1.86. 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. NPO currently has a PEG ratio of 2.72.

Another notable valuation metric for SLB is its P/B ratio of 2.54. 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, NPO has a P/B of 5.04.

These metrics, and several others, help SLB earn a Value grade of A, while NPO has been given a Value grade of D.

SLB sticks out from NPO in both our Zacks Rank and Style Scores models, so value investors will likely feel that SLB is the better option right now.

Published in