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NX vs. ROAD: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

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Investors interested in Building Products - Miscellaneous stocks are likely familiar with Quanex Building Products (NX - Free Report) and Construction Partners (ROAD - Free Report) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.

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 proven Zacks Rank emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Right now, Quanex Building Products is sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), while Construction Partners 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 NX 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 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 Style Score Value grade factors in a variety of key fundamental metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a number of other key stats that are commonly used by value investors.

NX currently has a forward P/E ratio of 6.35, while ROAD has a forward P/E of 39.58. We also note that NX has a PEG ratio of 0.45. 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. ROAD currently has a PEG ratio of 0.99.

Another notable valuation metric for NX is its P/B ratio of 0.79. 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, ROAD has a P/B of 5.34.

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

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


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