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ATGE vs. LINC: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

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Investors with an interest in Schools stocks have likely encountered both Adtalem Global Education (ATGE - Free Report) and Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (LINC - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.

The best way to find great value stocks is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The Zacks Rank is a proven strategy that targets companies with positive earnings estimate revision trends, while our Style Scores work to grade companies based on specific traits.

Currently, Adtalem Global Education has a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), while Lincoln Educational Services Corporation has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Investors should feel comfortable knowing that ATGE likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than LINC has recently. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

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 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.

ATGE currently has a forward P/E ratio of 13.38, while LINC has a forward P/E of 24.67. We also note that ATGE has a PEG ratio of 0.89. 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. LINC currently has a PEG ratio of 1.64.

Another notable valuation metric for ATGE is its P/B ratio of 1.87. 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, LINC has a P/B of 2.26.

Based on these metrics and many more, ATGE holds a Value grade of B, while LINC has a Value grade of C.

ATGE stands above LINC thanks to its solid earnings outlook, and based on these valuation figures, we also feel that ATGE is the superior value option right now.


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Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (LINC) - free report >>

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