CTSH vs. QTWO: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

Investors with an interest in Business - Software Services stocks have likely encountered both Cognizant (CTSH) and Q2 Holdings (QTWO). But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors? We'll need to take a closer look to find out.

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.

Both Cognizant and Q2 Holdings have a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy) right now. This system places an emphasis on companies that have seen positive earnings estimate revisions, so investors should feel comfortable knowing that these stocks have improving earnings outlooks. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

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.

CTSH currently has a forward P/E ratio of 20.62, while QTWO has a forward P/E of 895.19. We also note that CTSH has a PEG ratio of 1.87. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. QTWO currently has a PEG ratio of 24.46.

Another notable valuation metric for CTSH is its P/B ratio of 3.60. 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, QTWO has a P/B of 7.18.

These metrics, and several others, help CTSH earn a Value grade of B, while QTWO has been given a Value grade of F.

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

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Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (CTSH) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Q2 Holdings, Inc. (QTWO) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
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