Yahoo Finance BDX or MMSI: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?
Investors interested in Medical - Dental Supplies stocks are likely familiar with Becton Dickinson (BDX) and Merit Medical (MMSI). 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 Zacks Rank is a proven strategy that targets companies with positive earnings estimate revision trends, while our Style Scores work to grade companies based on specific traits.
Right now, Becton Dickinson is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Merit Medical has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that BDX has an improving earnings outlook. But this is only part of the picture for value investors.
Value investors analyze a variety of traditional, tried-and-true metrics to help find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.
Our Value category highlights undervalued companies by looking at a variety of key metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, as well as the P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that have been used by value investors for years.
BDX currently has a forward P/E ratio of 18.02, while MMSI has a forward P/E of 21.43. We also note that BDX has a PEG ratio of 1.93. 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. MMSI currently has a PEG ratio of 1.98.
Another notable valuation metric for BDX is its P/B ratio of 2.66. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, MMSI has a P/B of 3.41.
These metrics, and several others, help BDX earn a Value grade of B, while MMSI has been given a Value grade of C.
BDX 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 BDX is likely the superior value option right now.
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Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Merit Medical Systems, Inc. (MMSI) : Free Stock Analysis Report
