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

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Investors interested in stocks from the Manufacturing - Construction and Mining sector have probably already heard of Terex (TEX - Free Report) and 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.

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 Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Right now, both Terex and Caterpillar are sporting 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. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

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.

TEX currently has a forward P/E ratio of 9.15, while CAT has a forward P/E of 13.32. We also note that TEX has a PEG ratio of 0.52. 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. CAT currently has a PEG ratio of 1.11.

Another notable valuation metric for TEX is its P/B ratio of 2.85. 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, CAT has a P/B of 6.67.

These metrics, and several others, help TEX earn a Value grade of B, while CAT has been given 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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