BRC or ALLE: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?
Investors with an interest in Security and Safety Services stocks have likely encountered both Brady (BRC) and Allegion (ALLE). But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors? We'll need to take a closer look to find out.
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 emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.
Brady and Allegion are sporting Zacks Ranks of #2 (Buy) and #3 (Hold), respectively, right now. The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that BRC has an improving earnings outlook. But this is only part of the picture 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.
Our Value category grades stocks based on a number of key metrics, including the tried-and-true P/E ratio, the P/S ratio, earnings yield, and cash flow per share, as well as a variety of other fundamentals that value investors frequently use.
BRC currently has a forward P/E ratio of 15.85, while ALLE has a forward P/E of 26.11. We also note that BRC has a PEG ratio of 2.26. 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. ALLE currently has a PEG ratio of 3.76.
Another notable valuation metric for BRC is its P/B ratio of 2.75. The P/B is a method of comparing a stock's market value to its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, ALLE has a P/B of 15.35.
These metrics, and several others, help BRC earn a Value grade of B, while ALLE has been given a Value grade of C.
BRC has seen stronger estimate revision activity and sports more attractive valuation metrics than ALLE, so it seems like value investors will conclude that BRC is the superior option right now.
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Brady Corporation (BRC) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Allegion PLC (ALLE) : Free Stock Analysis Report
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
Zacks Investment Research
