MEDP vs. PRAH: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

Investors interested in stocks from the Medical Services sector have probably already heard of Medpace (MEDP) and PRA Health Sciences (PRAH). But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let’s take a closer look.

The best way to find great value stocks is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Both Medpace and PRA Health Sciences have a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy) right now. Investors should feel comfortable knowing that both of these stocks have an improving earnings outlook since the Zacks Rank favors companies that have witnessed positive analyst estimate revisions. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

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.

MEDP currently has a forward P/E ratio of 19.57, while PRAH has a forward P/E of 22.57. We also note that MEDP has a PEG ratio of 1.22. 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. PRAH currently has a PEG ratio of 1.29.

Another notable valuation metric for MEDP is its P/B ratio of 3.15. 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, PRAH has a P/B of 6.38.

These metrics, and several others, help MEDP earn a Value grade of B, while PRAH has been given a Value grade of C.

Both MEDP and PRAH are impressive stocks with solid earnings outlooks, but based on these valuation figures, we feel that MEDP is the superior value option right now.

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