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BBSI vs. PAYX: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

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Investors with an interest in Outsourcing stocks have likely encountered both Barrett Business Services (BBSI - Free Report) and Paychex (PAYX - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.

There are plenty of strategies for discovering value stocks, but we have found that pairing a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system produces the best returns. The proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Currently, both Barrett Business Services and Paychex are holding 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 just one factor that value investors are interested in.

Value investors also try to analyze a wide range of traditional figures and metrics to help determine whether a company is undervalued at its 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.

BBSI currently has a forward P/E ratio of 13.19, while PAYX has a forward P/E of 26.49. We also note that BBSI has a PEG ratio of 0.94. 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. PAYX currently has a PEG ratio of 3.53.

Another notable valuation metric for BBSI is its P/B ratio of 3.37. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, PAYX has a P/B of 12.80.

Based on these metrics and many more, BBSI holds a Value grade of A, while PAYX has a Value grade of C.

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


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Paychex, Inc. (PAYX) - free report >>

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