Pick up these 4 stocks with an incredible interest coverage ratio
The Federal Reserve’s biggest challenge now is to rein in soaring inflation, and it is on a path of steady rate hikes to tame it. The adjustment of the balance sheet is also on the agenda. Officials agreed to cut $60 billion a month from the US central bank’s Treasury holdings and $35 billion from mortgage-backed securities holdings. It should start in May. At present, investors need to assess changing market dynamics and define a sound investment strategy accordingly.
An uninformed investor can lose money if he bets on a stock based solely on the numbers flashing on a real-time stock market screen. A critical analysis of the financial context of the company is always necessary for a better investment decision.
Often, investors assess a company’s performance by simply looking at its sales and earnings, which sometimes don’t tell the truth. To be more specific, they don’t say whether a company’s fundamentals are strong enough to meet its financial obligations. Here, the coverage ratio comes into play – the higher the measure, the more efficient a company will be in meeting its financial obligations.
Why the interest coverage ratio?
The interest coverage ratio is used to determine how efficiently a company can pay interest on its debt.
Debt, crucial to financing the operations of most businesses, has a cost called interest. Interest expense has a direct impact on a company’s profitability. The company’s solvency depends on how efficiently it meets its interest obligations. Therefore, the interest coverage ratio is one of the important criteria to consider before making any investment decision.
Interest coverage ratio = Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) divided by interest expense.
The interest coverage ratio indicates how many times interest could be paid out of earnings and assesses the margin of safety a company has to pay interest.
An interest coverage ratio of less than 1 indicates that the company is unable to meet its interest obligations and may not repay its debt. A business that is able to generate profits well in excess of its interest charges can endure financial difficulties. It should also
track the company’s past performance to determine whether the interest coverage ratio has improved or deteriorated over a given period.
CBRE Group, Inc. CBRE, Tecnoglass Inc. TGLS, Dillard’s, Inc. DDS and Boot Barn Holdings, Inc. BOOT has an impressive interest coverage ratio.
The winning strategy
In addition to having an interest coverage ratio above the industry average, the addition of a favorable Zacks rating and a VGM score an A or B in your search criteria should lead to better results.
Interest coverage ratio above median X-Industry
Price greater than or equal to 5: The stocks must all trade at a minimum of $5 or more.
Historical EPS growth over 5 years (%) above the X-Industry median: Stocks with a solid track record of EPS growth.
Projected EPS growth (%) above median X-Industry: This is the projected EPS growth over the next three to five years. This shows that the stock has potential for near-term earnings growth.
Average volume over 20 days greater than 100,000: Substantial trading volume ensures that the stock is easily tradable.
Zacks rank less than or equal to 2: Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) stocks are known to outperform regardless of the market environment.
VGM score less than or equal to B: Our research shows that stocks with a VGM score of A or B, when combined with a Zacks rank #1 or 2, offer the most upside potential.
Here are four of the 11 actions that qualified the screening:
CBRE Group is a commercial real estate and investment services company, which sports a Zacks No. 1 ranking and a VGM score of B. Its expected three- to five-year earnings per share (EPS) growth rate is 11%. You can see the full list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Zacks’ consensus estimate for CBRE Group’s current-year sales and EPS suggests growth of 22.3% and 6%, respectively, over the prior-year period. CBRE has a four-quarter earnings surprise of 34.2% on average. The stock has jumped 7.9% over the past year.
Tecnoglassa leading manufacturer of architectural glass, windows and related aluminum products serving the global residential and commercial end markets, sports a Zacks #1 ranking and has a VGM score of B. Its EPS growth rate forecast for three to five years is 20%.
Zacks’ consensus estimate for Tecnoglass’ current year sales and EPS suggests growth of 18.9% and 21.8%, respectively, over the prior year period. TGLS has a last four quarter earnings surprise of 39.9% on average. The stock has jumped 80.3% over the past year.
Dillard’swhich operates large retail stores, carries a Zacks rank of No. 2 and has a VGM score of A. Its expected EPS growth rate for three to five years is 14.6%.
Zacks’ consensus estimate for Dillard’s current year sales suggests growth of 4.7% over the prior year period. DDS has a four-quarter earnings surprise of 294.5%, on average. The stock has climbed 166% over the past year.
Operation of the starter barna leading retailer of Western and work lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories, boasts a Zacks No. 2 ranking and a VGM score of A. Its EPS growth rate forecast for three to five years is 20%.
Zacks’ consensus estimate for Boot Barn Holdings’ current year sales and EPS suggests growth of 62.6% and 220.8%, respectively, over the prior year period. BOOT has jumped 33.5% over the past year.
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Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in the options mentioned herein. An affiliated investment adviser may hold or have shorted securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options mentioned herein.
Disclosure: Information on the performance of Zacks portfolios and strategies is available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance.
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Dillard’s, Inc. (DDS): Free Stock Analysis Report
Boot Barn Holdings, Inc. (BOOT): Free Stock Analysis Report
Tecnoglass Inc. (TGLS): Free Stock Analysis Report
CBRE Group, Inc. (CBRE): Free Stock Analysis Report