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GD vs. GE: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in Aerospace - Defense stocks are likely familiar with General Dynamics (GD - Free Report) and GE Aerospace (GE - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.

We have found that the best way to discover great value opportunities is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with a great 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.

General Dynamics and GE Aerospace are sporting Zacks Ranks of #2 (Buy) and #3 (Hold), respectively, right now. Investors should feel comfortable knowing that GD likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than GE has recently. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.

Value investors also tend to look at a number of traditional, tried-and-true figures to help them find stocks that they believe are undervalued at their 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.

GD currently has a forward P/E ratio of 23.47, while GE has a forward P/E of 46.64. We also note that GD has a PEG ratio of 2.30. This popular figure is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also considers a company's expected EPS growth rate. GE currently has a PEG ratio of 2.69.

Another notable valuation metric for GD is its P/B ratio of 3.99. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, GE has a P/B of 21.3.

Based on these metrics and many more, GD holds a Value grade of B, while GE has a Value grade of D.

GD 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 GD is likely the superior value option right now.

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