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GMED or AXGN: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors looking for stocks in the Medical - Instruments sector might want to consider either Globus Medical (GMED - Free Report) or AxoGen (AXGN - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks offers value investors a better bang for their buck right now? We'll need to 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.

Right now, both Globus Medical and AxoGen are sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Investors should feel comfortable knowing that both of these stocks have an improving earnings outlook since the Zacks Rank favors companies that have witnessed positive analyst estimate revisions. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.

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.

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.

GMED currently has a forward P/E ratio of 15.81, while AXGN has a forward P/E of 73.46. We also note that GMED has a PEG ratio of 1.27. 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. AXGN currently has a PEG ratio of 1.42.

Another notable valuation metric for GMED is its P/B ratio of 2.22. 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, AXGN has a P/B of 7.47.

These metrics, and several others, help GMED earn a Value grade of B, while AXGN has been given a Value grade of F.

Both GMED and AXGN are impressive stocks with solid earnings outlooks, but based on these valuation figures, we feel that GMED is the superior value option right now.

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