SCSC or GWW: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?
Investors looking for stocks in the Industrial Services sector might want to consider either ScanSource (SCSC) or W.W. Grainger (GWW). But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's 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 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, ScanSource is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while W.W. Grainger has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). This means that SCSC's earnings estimate revision activity has been more impressive, so investors should feel comfortable with its improving analyst 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 highlights undervalued companies by looking at a variety of key metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, as well as the P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that have been used by value investors for years.
SCSC currently has a forward P/E ratio of 12.55, while GWW has a forward P/E of 23.39. We also note that SCSC has a PEG ratio of 1.25. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. GWW currently has a PEG ratio of 1.80.
Another notable valuation metric for SCSC is its P/B ratio of 1.13. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, GWW has a P/B of 12.83.
Based on these metrics and many more, SCSC holds a Value grade of A, while GWW has a Value grade of C.
SCSC sticks out from GWW in both our Zacks Rank and Style Scores models, so value investors will likely feel that SCSC is the better option right now.
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ScanSource, Inc. (SCSC) : Free Stock Analysis Report
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) : Free Stock Analysis Report