OSK Vs. GNTX: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

Investors interested in stocks from the Automotive - Original Equipment sector have probably already heard of Oshkosh (OSK) and Gentex (GNTX). 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 proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Oshkosh and Gentex are sporting Zacks Ranks of #2 (Buy) and #3 (Hold), respectively, right now. Investors should feel comfortable knowing that OSK likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than GNTX has recently. But this is only part of the picture for value investors.

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.

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.

OSK currently has a forward P/E ratio of 8.90, while GNTX has a forward P/E of 16.20. We also note that OSK has a PEG ratio of 0.70. 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. GNTX currently has a PEG ratio of 3.23.

Another notable valuation metric for OSK is its P/B ratio of 1.89. 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, GNTX has a P/B of 3.63.

These are just a few of the metrics contributing to OSK's Value grade of A and GNTX's Value grade of C.

OSK stands above GNTX thanks to its solid earnings outlook, and based on these valuation figures, we also feel that OSK is the superior value option right now.