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PRMW vs. AWK: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

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Investors interested in stocks from the Utility - Water Supply sector have probably already heard of Primo (PRMW - Free Report) and American Water Works (AWK - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? 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 favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Both Primo and American Water Works have a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy) right now. 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 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 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.

PRMW currently has a forward P/E ratio of 20.19, while AWK has a forward P/E of 28.85. We also note that PRMW has a PEG ratio of 1.14. 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. AWK currently has a PEG ratio of 3.53.

Another notable valuation metric for PRMW is its P/B ratio of 1.89. 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, AWK has a P/B of 2.77.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to PRMW's Value grade of B and AWK's Value grade of D.

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


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American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK) - free report >>

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