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GBX or WAB: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors looking for stocks in the Transportation - Equipment and Leasing sector might want to consider either Greenbrier Companies (GBX - Free Report) or Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (WAB - 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.

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 proven Zacks Rank emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Currently, both Greenbrier Companies and Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies are holding a Zacks Rank of # 1 (Strong Buy). This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that these stocks have improving earnings outlooks. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.

Value investors are also interested in a number of tried-and-true valuation metrics that help show when a company is undervalued at its 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.

GBX currently has a forward P/E ratio of 12.16, while WAB has a forward P/E of 23.43. We also note that GBX has a PEG ratio of 0.71. This figure is similar to the commonly-used P/E ratio, with the PEG ratio also factoring in a company's expected earnings growth rate. WAB currently has a PEG ratio of 1.51.

Another notable valuation metric for GBX is its P/B ratio of 1.10. 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, WAB has a P/B of 2.86.

These metrics, and several others, help GBX earn a Value grade of A, while WAB has been given a Value grade of F.

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


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Greenbrier Companies, Inc. (The) (GBX) - free report >>

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation (WAB) - free report >>

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