Yahoo Finance BBSI or PAYX: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?
Investors interested in stocks from the Outsourcing sector have probably already heard of Barrett Business Services (BBSI) and Paychex (PAYX). But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's take a closer look.
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 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.
Currently, Barrett Business Services has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Paychex 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 BBSI has an improving earnings outlook. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.
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.
Our Value category grades stocks based on a number of key metrics, including the tried-and-true P/E ratio, the P/S ratio, earnings yield, and cash flow per share, as well as a variety of other fundamentals that value investors frequently use.
BBSI currently has a forward P/E ratio of 15.51, while PAYX has a forward P/E of 25.88. We also note that BBSI has a PEG ratio of 1.11. 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. PAYX currently has a PEG ratio of 3.43.
Another notable valuation metric for BBSI is its P/B ratio of 4.25. 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, PAYX has a P/B of 11.70.
These metrics, and several others, help BBSI earn a Value grade of A, while PAYX has been given a Value grade of C.
BBSI 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 BBSI is likely the superior value option right now.
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Barrett Business Services, Inc. (BBSI) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Paychex, Inc. (PAYX) : Free Stock Analysis Report
