PETQ or BSX: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

Investors looking for stocks in the Medical - Products sector might want to consider either PetIQ (PETQ) or Boston Scientific (BSX). But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors? We'll need to take a closer look to find out.

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, PetIQ is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Boston Scientific has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that PETQ is likely seeing its earnings outlook improve to a greater extent. But this is only part of the picture 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 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.

PETQ currently has a forward P/E ratio of 9.11, while BSX has a forward P/E of 24.50. We also note that PETQ has a PEG ratio of 1.14. 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. BSX currently has a PEG ratio of 2.37.

Another notable valuation metric for PETQ is its P/B ratio of 1.59. 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, BSX has a P/B of 3.44.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to PETQ's Value grade of A and BSX's Value grade of C.

PETQ is currently sporting an improving earnings outlook, which makes it stick out in our Zacks Rank model. And, based on the above valuation metrics, we feel that PETQ is likely the superior value option right now.

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