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KBR or ALFVY: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors with an interest in Engineering - R and D Services stocks have likely encountered both KBR Inc. (KBR - Free Report) and Alfa Laval AB Unsponsored ADR (ALFVY - 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, KBR Inc. is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Alfa Laval AB Unsponsored ADR 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 KBR 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 analyze a variety of traditional, tried-and-true metrics to help find companies that they believe are undervalued at their 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.

KBR currently has a forward P/E ratio of 9.23, while ALFVY has a forward P/E of 25.24. We also note that KBR has a PEG ratio of 2.00. 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. ALFVY currently has a PEG ratio of 3.97.

Another notable valuation metric for KBR is its P/B ratio of 2.95. 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, ALFVY has a P/B of 4.7.

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

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

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