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DH vs. FFIV: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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Investors looking for stocks in the Internet - Software sector might want to consider either Definitive Healthcare Corp. (DH - Free Report) or F5 Networks (FFIV - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.

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 proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Definitive Healthcare Corp. and F5 Networks are sporting Zacks Ranks of #2 (Buy) and #3 (Hold), respectively, right now. The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that DH has an improving earnings outlook. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

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.

DH currently has a forward P/E ratio of 15.74, while FFIV has a forward P/E of 20.79. We also note that DH has a PEG ratio of 1.72. 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. FFIV currently has a PEG ratio of 3.09.

Another notable valuation metric for DH is its P/B ratio of 0.82. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, FFIV has a P/B of 5.33.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to DH's Value grade of B and FFIV's Value grade of D.

DH 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 DH is likely the superior value option right now.


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