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 Eastman Kodak
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 Eastman Kodak.
|
Factor |
What We Want to See |
Actual |
Pass or Fail? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Growth | 5-Year Annual Revenue Growth > 15% | (12.5%) | Fail |
| 1-Year Revenue Growth > 12% | (16.7%) | Fail | |
| Margins | Gross Margin > 35% | 18.5% | Fail |
| Net Margin > 15% | (16.3%) | Fail | |
| Balance Sheet | Debt to Equity < 50% | NM | NM |
| Current Ratio > 1.3 | 1.38 | Pass | |
| Opportunities | Return on Equity > 15% | NM | NM |
| Valuation | Normalized P/E < 20 | NM | NM |
| Dividends | Current Yield > 2% | 0% | Fail |
| 5-Year Dividend Growth > 10% | 0% | Fail | |
| Total Score | 1 out of 7 |
Source: Capital IQ, a division of Standard & Poor's. NM = not meaningful; Eastman Kodak has negative shareholder equity and negative earnings for the period. Total score = number of passes.
Eastman Kodak can only snap up a single point. The former king of Kodachrome is just a shell of its former self.
Kodak once dominated the photography industry, with its film a ubiquitous part of everyone's lives. But with the advent of digital photography, film has largely become obsolete, undermining a big part of Kodak's business model.
As revenue has slid, Kodak has tried to take its place in the digital world. Lately, though, that has meant defending its patents against infringement, with Kodak suing Apple
With the rest of its business on the cusp of disappearing, it now appears that Kodak's exit strategy could be to sell itself for its intellectual property. That's understandable, as the fight for bankrupt Nortel's patent portfolio, Google's
At this point, just about the only perfect outcome for investors would be a buyout at a premium price. Short of that, it's tough to see Kodak getting back to its glory days.
Keep searching
No stock is a sure thing, but some stocks are a lot closer to perfect than others. By looking for the perfect stock, you'll go a long way toward improving your investing prowess and learning how to separate out the best investments from the rest.
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Finding the perfect stock is only one piece of a successful investment strategy. Get the big picture by taking a look at our 13 Steps to Investing Foolishly.
