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PRDO or LOPE: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

Investors interested in stocks from the Schools sector have probably already heard of Perdoceo Education (PRDO) and Grand Canyon Education (LOPE). But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors? We'll need to take a closer look to find out.

We have found that the best way to discover great value opportunities is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with a great grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. 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, both Perdoceo Education and Grand Canyon Education are sporting a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy). The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that both of these companies have improving earnings outlooks. But this is only part of the picture 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.

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The Style Score Value grade factors in a variety of key fundamental metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a number of other key stats that are commonly used by value investors.

PRDO currently has a forward P/E ratio of 10.18, while LOPE has a forward P/E of 18.26. We also note that PRDO has a PEG ratio of 0.68. 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. LOPE currently has a PEG ratio of 1.22.

Another notable valuation metric for PRDO is its P/B ratio of 1.70. 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, LOPE has a P/B of 5.59.

These metrics, and several others, help PRDO earn a Value grade of A, while LOPE has been given a Value grade of C.

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

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Perdoceo Education Corporation (PRDO) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (LOPE) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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Zacks Investment Research