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STRL vs. HWM: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in stocks from the Engineering - R and D Services sector have probably already heard of Sterling Infrastructure (STRL - Free Report) and Howmet (HWM - 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.

Right now, Sterling Infrastructure is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Howmet has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that STRL has an improving earnings outlook. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

Value investors also try to analyze a wide range of traditional figures and metrics to help determine whether a company is undervalued at its current share price levels.

The Style Score Value grade factors in a variety of key fundamental metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a number of other key stats that are commonly used by value investors.

STRL currently has a forward P/E ratio of 17.54, while HWM has a forward P/E of 30.50. We also note that STRL has a PEG ratio of 0.88. 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. HWM currently has a PEG ratio of 1.43.

Another notable valuation metric for STRL is its P/B ratio of 3.86. 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, HWM has a P/B of 5.85.

Based on these metrics and many more, STRL holds a Value grade of A, while HWM has a Value grade of D.

STRL has seen stronger estimate revision activity and sports more attractive valuation metrics than HWM, so it seems like value investors will conclude that STRL is the superior option right now.


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Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. (STRL) - free report >>

Howmet Aerospace Inc. (HWM) - free report >>

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