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III or ACN: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors interested in Consulting Services stocks are likely familiar with Information Services Group (III - Free Report) and Accenture (ACN - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.

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 is a proven strategy that targets companies with positive earnings estimate revision trends, while our Style Scores work to grade companies based on specific traits.

Right now, Information Services Group is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Accenture has a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell). Investors should feel comfortable knowing that III likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than ACN has recently. But this is only part of the picture for value investors.

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.

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.

III currently has a forward P/E ratio of 11.09, while ACN has a forward P/E of 23.72. We also note that III has a PEG ratio of 0.63. 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. ACN currently has a PEG ratio of 2.50.

Another notable valuation metric for III is its P/B ratio of 2.63. 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, ACN has a P/B of 7.46.

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

III has seen stronger estimate revision activity and sports more attractive valuation metrics than ACN, so it seems like value investors will conclude that III is the superior option right now.


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