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ALG vs. DE: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors looking for stocks in the Manufacturing - Farm Equipment sector might want to consider either Alamo Group (ALG - Free Report) or Deere (DE - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.

There are plenty of strategies for discovering value stocks, but we have found that pairing a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system produces the best returns. 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.

Right now, Alamo Group is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Deere 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 ALG is likely seeing its earnings outlook improve to a greater extent. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

Value investors are also interested in a number of tried-and-true valuation metrics that help show when 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.

ALG currently has a forward P/E ratio of 15.33, while DE has a forward P/E of 32.23. We also note that ALG has a PEG ratio of 0.96. 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. DE currently has a PEG ratio of 2.16.

Another notable valuation metric for ALG is its P/B ratio of 1.69. 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, DE has a P/B of 5.75.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to ALG's Value grade of B and DE's Value grade of D.

ALG 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 ALG is likely the superior value option right now.

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