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BAESY vs. HEI: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

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Investors interested in stocks from the Aerospace - Defense Equipment sector have probably already heard of Bae Systems PLC (BAESY - Free Report) and Heico Corporation (HEI - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors? We'll need to take a closer look to find out.

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.

Bae Systems PLC and Heico Corporation are both sporting a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy) right now. Investors should feel comfortable knowing that both of these stocks have an improving earnings outlook since the Zacks Rank favors companies that have witnessed positive analyst estimate revisions. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

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.

BAESY currently has a forward P/E ratio of 20.94, while HEI has a forward P/E of 63.69. We also note that BAESY has a PEG ratio of 1.71. 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. HEI currently has a PEG ratio of 3.37.

Another notable valuation metric for BAESY is its P/B ratio of 4.08. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, HEI has a P/B of 9.04.

Based on these metrics and many more, BAESY holds a Value grade of B, while HEI has a Value grade of F.

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


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