Back to top

Image: Bigstock

EHC vs. CHE: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors looking for stocks in the Medical - Outpatient and Home Healthcare sector might want to consider either Encompass Health (EHC - Free Report) or Chemed (CHE - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.

Everyone has their own methods for finding great value opportunities, but our model includes pairing an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system with a strong Zacks Rank. The proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Currently, both Encompass Health and Chemed are holding 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 only part of the picture for value investors.

Value investors also try to analyze a wide range of traditional figures and metrics to help determine whether a company is undervalued at its 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.

EHC currently has a forward P/E ratio of 22.49, while CHE has a forward P/E of 28. We also note that EHC has a PEG ratio of 1.73. 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. CHE currently has a PEG ratio of 2.80.

Another notable valuation metric for EHC is its P/B ratio of 5.24. 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, CHE has a P/B of 9.17.

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

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


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


Chemed Corporation (CHE) - free report >>

Encompass Health Corporation (EHC) - free report >>