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HLN vs. LMAT: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in Medical - Products stocks are likely familiar with Haleon PLC Sponsored ADR (HLN - Free Report) and LeMaitre Vascular (LMAT - 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.

Everyone has their own methods for finding great value opportunities, but our model includes pairing an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system with a strong Zacks Rank. The Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Right now, Haleon PLC Sponsored ADR is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while LeMaitre Vascular 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 HLN has an improving earnings outlook. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.

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.

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.

HLN currently has a forward P/E ratio of 18.78, while LMAT has a forward P/E of 49.05. We also note that HLN has a PEG ratio of 2.50. 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. LMAT currently has a PEG ratio of 2.65.

Another notable valuation metric for HLN is its P/B ratio of 1.94. 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, LMAT has a P/B of 6.33.

These metrics, and several others, help HLN earn a Value grade of B, while LMAT has been given a Value grade of D.

HLN 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 HLN is likely the superior value option right now.


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LeMaitre Vascular, Inc. (LMAT) - free report >>

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