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HPE or ZI: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors interested in stocks from the Computer - Integrated Systems sector have probably already heard of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE - Free Report) and ZoomInfo (ZI - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.

There are plenty of strategies for discovering value stocks, but we have found that pairing a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system produces the best returns. The proven Zacks Rank emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Right now, Hewlett Packard Enterprise is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while ZoomInfo has a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell). The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that HPE has an improving earnings outlook. But this is only part of the picture 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.

HPE currently has a forward P/E ratio of 9.96, while ZI has a forward P/E of 11.32. We also note that HPE has a PEG ratio of 2.28. This popular figure is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also considers a company's expected EPS growth rate. ZI currently has a PEG ratio of 3.79.

Another notable valuation metric for HPE is its P/B ratio of 1.14. 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, ZI has a P/B of 1.95.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to HPE's Value grade of A and ZI's Value grade of C.

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


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