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CTSH vs. WIT: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

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Investors interested in stocks from the Business - Software Services sector have probably already heard of Cognizant (CTSH - Free Report) and Wipro Limited (WIT - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks offers value investors a better bang for their buck right now? We'll need to 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 proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Right now, Cognizant is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Wipro Limited has a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell). This means that CTSH's earnings estimate revision activity has been more impressive, so investors should feel comfortable with its improving analyst outlook. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

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.

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.

CTSH currently has a forward P/E ratio of 14.83, while WIT has a forward P/E of 17.96. We also note that CTSH has a PEG ratio of 1.70. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. WIT currently has a PEG ratio of 2.

Another notable valuation metric for CTSH is its P/B ratio of 2.56. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, WIT has a P/B of 3.14.

These metrics, and several others, help CTSH earn a Value grade of B, while WIT has been given a Value grade of C.

CTSH is currently sporting an improving earnings outlook, which makes it stick out in our Zacks Rank model. And, based on the above valuation metrics, we feel that CTSH is likely the superior value option right now.


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Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (CTSH) - free report >>

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