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MEDP or HQY: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors with an interest in Medical Services stocks have likely encountered both Medpace (MEDP - Free Report) and HealthEquity (HQY - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's take a closer look.

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 Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Right now, both Medpace and HealthEquity are sporting 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 only part of the picture for value investors.

Value investors analyze a variety of traditional, tried-and-true metrics to help find companies 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.

MEDP currently has a forward P/E ratio of 21.24, while HQY has a forward P/E of 52.04. We also note that MEDP has a PEG ratio of 1.33. 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. HQY currently has a PEG ratio of 1.66.

Another notable valuation metric for MEDP is its P/B ratio of 3.38. 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, HQY has a P/B of 7.93.

Based on these metrics and many more, MEDP holds a Value grade of B, while HQY has a Value grade of D.

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


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HealthEquity, Inc. (HQY) - free report >>

Medpace Holdings, Inc. (MEDP) - free report >>

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