By Dan Caplinger, The Motley Fool
Filed under: Investing
Every investor would love to stumble upon the perfect stock. But will you ever really find a stock that provides everything you could possibly want?
One thing’s for sure: You’ll never discover truly great investments unless you actively look for them. Let’s discuss the ideal qualities of a perfect stock, then decide if Waste Management fits the bill.
The quest for perfection
Stocks that look great based on one factor may prove horrible elsewhere, making due diligence a crucial part of your investing research. The best stocks excel in many different areas, including these important factors:
- Growth. Expanding businesses show healthy revenue growth. While past growth is no guarantee that revenue will keep rising, it’s certainly a better sign than a stagnant top line.
- Margins. Higher sales mean nothing if a company can’t produce profits from them. Strong margins ensure that company can turn revenue into profit.
- Balance sheet. At debt-laden companies, banks and bondholders compete with shareholders for management’s attention. Companies with strong balance sheets don’t have to worry about the distraction of debt.
- Money-making opportunities. Return on equity helps measure how well a company is finding opportunities to turn its resources into profitable business endeavors.
- Valuation. You can’t afford to pay too much for even the best companies. By using normalized figures, you can see how a stock‘s simple earnings multiple fits into a longer-term context.
- Dividends. For tangible proof of profits, a check to shareholders every three months can’t be beat. Companies with solid dividends and strong commitments to increasing payouts treat shareholders well.
With those factors in mind, let’s take a closer look at Waste Management.
|
Factor |
What We Want to See |
Actual |
Pass or Fail? |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Growth |
5-year annual revenue growth > 15% |
0.5% |
Fail |
|
1-year revenue growth > 12% |
2% |
Fail |
|
|
Margins |
Gross margin > 35% |
34.9% |
Fail |
|
Net margin > 15% |
6% |
Fail |
|
|
Balance sheet |
Debt to equity < 50% |
149.2% |
Fail |
|
Current ratio > 1.3 |
0.80 |
Fail |
|
|
Opportunities |
Return on equity > 15% |
13.2% |
Fail |
|
Valuation |
Normalized P/E < 20 |
20.89 |
Fail |
|
Dividends |
Current yield > 2% |
3.8% |
Pass |
|
5-year dividend growth > 10% |
8.1% |
Fail |
|
|
Total score |
1 out of 10 |
Source: S&P Capital IQ. Total score = number of passes.
Since we looked at Waste Management last year, the company has dropped by three full points. Gross margins have dropped, sending returns on equity falling. Yet the share price has risen almost 15% over the past year, sending the stock‘s earnings multiple above 20.
Waste Management has the largest network of landfills in the country, helping it build a network effect that encourages municipalities and private companies to
From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/11/has-waste-management-become-the-perfect-stock/