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NHYDY or ESAB: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors interested in Metal Products - Procurement and Fabrication stocks are likely familiar with Norsk Hydro ASA (NHYDY - Free Report) and Esab (ESAB - 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 favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Right now, both Norsk Hydro ASA and Esab are sporting a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy). This means that both companies have witnessed positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that both of these stocks have 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.

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.

NHYDY currently has a forward P/E ratio of 8.33, while ESAB has a forward P/E of 17.53. We also note that NHYDY has a PEG ratio of 1.10. 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. ESAB currently has a PEG ratio of 3.72.

Another notable valuation metric for NHYDY is its P/B ratio of 1.12. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, ESAB has a P/B of 2.84.

These metrics, and several others, help NHYDY earn a Value grade of A, while ESAB has been given a Value grade of C.

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


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