PRDO vs. LINC: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

Investors interested in stocks from the Schools sector have probably already heard of Perdoceo Education (PRDO) and Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (LINC). 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 favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Perdoceo Education has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Lincoln Educational Services Corporation has a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell) right now. This means that PRDO's earnings estimate revision activity has been more impressive, so investors should feel comfortable with its improving analyst outlook. 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.

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.

PRDO currently has a forward P/E ratio of 11.33, while LINC has a forward P/E of 53.46. We also note that PRDO has a PEG ratio of 0.76. 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. LINC currently has a PEG ratio of 3.56.

Another notable valuation metric for PRDO is its P/B ratio of 2.29. 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, LINC has a P/B of 5.93.

Based on these metrics and many more, PRDO holds a Value grade of B, while LINC has a Value grade of D.

PRDO 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 PRDO is likely the superior value option right now.

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Perdoceo Education Corporation (PRDO): Free Stock Analysis Report

Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (LINC): Free Stock Analysis Report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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