B or ROLL: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

Investors with an interest in Manufacturing - General Industrial stocks have likely encountered both Barnes Group (B) and RBC Bearings (ROLL). But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors? We'll need to take a closer look to find out.

There are plenty of strategies for discovering value stocks, but we have found that pairing a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system produces the best returns. The Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Currently, both Barnes Group and RBC Bearings are holding 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 just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.

Value investors are also interested in a number of tried-and-true valuation metrics that help show when a company is undervalued at its 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.

B currently has a forward P/E ratio of 20.17, while ROLL has a forward P/E of 30.10. We also note that B has a PEG ratio of 5.04. 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. ROLL currently has a PEG ratio of 5.13.

Another notable valuation metric for B is its P/B ratio of 2.82. 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, ROLL has a P/B of 4.07.

Based on these metrics and many more, B holds a Value grade of B, while ROLL has a Value grade of F.

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

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Barnes Group, Inc. (B) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
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