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ST or TRNS: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors interested in Instruments - Control stocks are likely familiar with Sensata (ST - Free Report) and Transcat, Inc. (TRNS - Free Report) . 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 emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Right now, both Sensata and Transcat, Inc. are sporting 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. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

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 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.

ST currently has a forward P/E ratio of 16.09, while TRNS has a forward P/E of 38.35. We also note that ST has a PEG ratio of 1.46. 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. TRNS currently has a PEG ratio of 4.79.

Another notable valuation metric for ST is its P/B ratio of 3.11. 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, TRNS has a P/B of 6.44.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to ST's Value grade of B and TRNS's Value grade of D.

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


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Sensata Technologies Holding N.V. (ST) - free report >>

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