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 3D Systems
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 3D Systems.
|
Factor |
What We Want to See |
Actual |
Pass or Fail? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Growth | 5-Year Annual Revenue Growth > 15% | 14.4% | Fail |
| 1-Year Revenue Growth > 12% | 47.3% | Pass | |
| Margins | Gross Margin > 35% | 49.3% | Pass |
| Net Margin > 15% | 10.3% | Fail | |
| Balance Sheet | Debt to Equity < 50% | 36.6% | Pass |
| Current Ratio > 1.3 | 3.73 | Pass | |
| Opportunities | Return on Equity > 15% | 9.8% | Fail |
| Valuation | Normalized P/E < 20 | 83.92 | Fail |
| Dividends | Current Yield > 2% | 0% | Fail |
| 5-Year Dividend Growth > 10% | 0% | Fail | |
| Total Score | 4 out of 10 |
Source: S&P Capital IQ. Total score = number of passes.
With four points, 3D Systems doesn't quite make it to the middle of the pack on our 10-point scale. But investors couldn't be more optimistic about the company's growth prospects, with its shares having more than doubled over the past year.
3D Systems is at the forefront of a new cutting-edge technology: 3-D printing. Along with rival Stratasys
But 3D Systems isn't impervious to the slowdown in the economy. During better times, a list of clients that includes defense contractor Northrop Grumman
The challenge that 3D Systems faces is figuring out how to avoid letting 3-D printing turn into a commodity business. That's what has crushed the traditional 2-D printer industry, with Hewlett-Packard
For 3D Systems to improve, it needs to focus first on beating Stratasys. Once that's done, higher margins and stronger returns on equity should let 3D Systems get a lot closer to perfection in short order.
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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