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AFYA vs. BFAM: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors interested in Schools stocks are likely familiar with Afya (AFYA - Free Report) and Bright Horizons Family Solutions (BFAM - 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 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.

Right now, Afya is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Bright Horizons Family Solutions has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that AFYA is likely seeing its earnings outlook improve to a greater extent. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

Value investors analyze a variety of traditional, tried-and-true metrics to help find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

Our Value category grades stocks based on a number of key metrics, including the tried-and-true P/E ratio, the P/S ratio, earnings yield, and cash flow per share, as well as a variety of other fundamentals that value investors frequently use.

AFYA currently has a forward P/E ratio of 10.90, while BFAM has a forward P/E of 37.69. We also note that AFYA has a PEG ratio of 0.46. 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. BFAM currently has a PEG ratio of 3.90.

Another notable valuation metric for AFYA is its P/B ratio of 2.13. The P/B is a method of comparing a stock's market value to its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, BFAM has a P/B of 5.60.

These metrics, and several others, help AFYA earn a Value grade of A, while BFAM has been given a Value grade of D.

AFYA 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 AFYA is likely the superior value option right now.


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Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. (BFAM) - free report >>

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