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ASGN vs. DT: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in Computers - IT Services stocks are likely familiar with ASGN Inc (ASGN - Free Report) and Dynatrace (DT - 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 Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

ASGN Inc has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Dynatrace has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now. This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that ASGN is likely seeing its earnings outlook improve to a greater extent. But this is just one piece of the puzzle 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.

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.

ASGN currently has a forward P/E ratio of 14.75, while DT has a forward P/E of 53.91. We also note that ASGN has a PEG ratio of 0.96. 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. DT currently has a PEG ratio of 4.13.

Another notable valuation metric for ASGN is its P/B ratio of 2.68. 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, DT has a P/B of 9.05.

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

ASGN stands above DT thanks to its solid earnings outlook, and based on these valuation figures, we also feel that ASGN is the superior value option right now.


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