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RDN or MTG: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors looking for stocks in the Insurance - Multi line sector might want to consider either Radian (RDN - Free Report) or MGIC Investment (MTG - 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 proven Zacks Rank emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Currently, both Radian and MGIC Investment are holding a Zacks Rank of # 1 (Strong 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. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

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.

RDN currently has a forward P/E ratio of 8.41, while MTG has a forward P/E of 9.24. We also note that RDN has a PEG ratio of 1.68. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. MTG currently has a PEG ratio of 1.85.

Another notable valuation metric for RDN is its P/B ratio of 1.07. 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, MTG has a P/B of 1.14.

Based on these metrics and many more, RDN holds a Value grade of B, while MTG has a Value grade of C.

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


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