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TEX or CAT: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors looking for stocks in the Manufacturing - Construction and Mining sector might want to consider either Terex (TEX - Free Report) or Caterpillar (CAT - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? 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 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.

Currently, both Terex and Caterpillar are holding a Zacks Rank of # 1 (Strong 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. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

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.

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.

TEX currently has a forward P/E ratio of 7.93, while CAT has a forward P/E of 11.89. We also note that TEX has a PEG ratio of 0.45. 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. CAT currently has a PEG ratio of 0.99.

Another notable valuation metric for TEX is its P/B ratio of 2.47. 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, CAT has a P/B of 5.95.

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

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


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