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LGND vs. REGN: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in Medical - Biomedical and Genetics stocks are likely familiar with Ligand Pharmaceuticals and Regeneron (REGN - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's take a closer look.

The best way to find great value stocks is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive 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.

Ligand Pharmaceuticals has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Regeneron has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now. The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that LGND has an improving earnings outlook. But this is only part of the picture 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 Style Score Value grade factors in a variety of key fundamental metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a number of other key stats that are commonly used by value investors.

LGND currently has a forward P/E ratio of 18.44, while REGN has a forward P/E of 20.01. We also note that LGND has a PEG ratio of 0.74. 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. REGN currently has a PEG ratio of 2.

Another notable valuation metric for LGND is its P/B ratio of 2.17. The P/B is a method of comparing a stock's market value to its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, REGN has a P/B of 3.89.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to LGND's Value grade of B and REGN's Value grade of C.

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


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Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (REGN) - free report >>

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