PCRX Vs. ZTS: Which Stock Is The Better Value Option?

Investors interested in Medical - Drugs stocks are likely familiar with Pacira (PCRX) and Zoetis (ZTS). But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's take a closer look.

There are plenty of strategies for discovering value stocks, but we have found that pairing a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system produces the best returns. The proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Currently, Pacira has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Zoetis has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). Investors should feel comfortable knowing that PCRX likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than ZTS has recently. But this is just one piece of the puzzle 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.

PCRX currently has a forward P/E ratio of 18.92, while ZTS has a forward P/E of 34.06. We also note that PCRX has a PEG ratio of 0.56. 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. ZTS currently has a PEG ratio of 3.18.

Another notable valuation metric for PCRX is its P/B ratio of 5.44. 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, ZTS has a P/B of 23.71.

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

PCRX has seen stronger estimate revision activity and sports more attractive valuation metrics than ZTS, so it seems like value investors will conclude that PCRX is the superior option right now.