WLMS vs. AWI: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?
Investors looking for stocks in the Building Products - Miscellaneous sector might want to consider either Williams Industrial Services (WLMS) or Armstrong World Industries (AWI). 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.
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 Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.
Currently, both Williams Industrial Services and Armstrong World Industries 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 just one factor that value investors are interested in.
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.
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.
WLMS currently has a forward P/E ratio of 4.44, while AWI has a forward P/E of 16.82. We also note that WLMS has a PEG ratio of 0.44. 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. AWI currently has a PEG ratio of 2.12.
Another notable valuation metric for WLMS is its P/B ratio of 0.95. 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, AWI has a P/B of 11.20.
These metrics, and several others, help WLMS earn a Value grade of A, while AWI has been given a Value grade of C.
Both WLMS and AWI are impressive stocks with solid earnings outlooks, but based on these valuation figures, we feel that WLMS is the superior value option right now.
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WILLIAMS INDUSTRIAL SERVICES GROUP INC. (WLMS) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (AWI) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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