Investors with an interest in Computers – IT Services stocks have likely encountered both ASGN Inc (ASGN) and Wix.com (WIX). 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 puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.
ASGN Inc and Wix.com are sporting Zacks Ranks of #2 (Buy) and #3 (Hold), respectively, right now. This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that ASGN is likely seeing its earnings outlook improve to a greater extent. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.
Value investors also try to analyze a wide range of traditional figures and metrics to help determine whether 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.
ASGN currently has a forward P/E ratio of 17.63, while WIX has a forward P/E of 1,900.05. We also note that ASGN has a PEG ratio of 1.85. 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. WIX currently has a PEG ratio of 81.30.
Another notable valuation metric for ASGN is its P/B ratio of 3.08. 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, WIX has a P/B of 76.48.
These are just a few of the metrics contributing to ASGN’s Value grade of B and WIX’s Value grade of F.
ASGN has seen stronger estimate revision activity and sports more attractive valuation metrics than WIX, so it seems like value investors will conclude that ASGN is the superior option right now.
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