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

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Investors interested in Technology Services stocks are likely familiar with Coherent (COHR - Free Report) and Enpro (NPO - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? 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 proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Right now, both Coherent and Enpro are sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that both of these companies have improving earnings outlooks. But this is only part of the picture for value investors.

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 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.

COHR currently has a forward P/E ratio of 17.91, while NPO has a forward P/E of 26.43. We also note that COHR has a PEG ratio of 0.34. 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 1.76.

Another notable valuation metric for COHR is its P/B ratio of 2.87. 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, NPO has a P/B of 3.35.

These metrics, and several others, help COHR earn a Value grade of B, while NPO has been given a Value grade of C.

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

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