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 whether Zumiez
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 Zumiez.
Factor | What We Want to See | Actual | Pass or Fail? |
---|---|---|---|
Growth | 5-Year Annual Revenue Growth > 15% | 17.6% | Pass |
1-Year Revenue Growth > 12% | 18.0% | Pass | |
Margins | Gross Margin > 35% | 36.3% | Pass |
Net Margin > 15% | 5.6% | Fail | |
Balance Sheet | Debt to Equity < 50% | 0.0% | Pass |
Current Ratio > 1.3 | 4.13 | Pass | |
Opportunities | Return on Equity > 15% | 13.2% | Fail |
Valuation | Normalized P/E < 20 | 26.43 | Fail |
Dividends | Current Yield > 2% | 0.0% | Fail |
5-Year Dividend Growth > 10% | 0.0% | Fail | |
Total Score | 5 out of 10 |
Source: Capital IQ, a division of Standard and Poor's. Total score = number of passes.
With a score of 5, Zumiez doesn't quite give shareholders the perfect fit. The retailer has seen some impressive growth in recent years despite the recession, but analysts aren't so sure about the company's future.
Zumiez is a teen-oriented retailer that targets the young skateboarder and surfer crowd. This turns out to be a fairly competitive market, but Zumiez has had better growth and returns on equity than Volcom
Recently, the company has started to feel the pinch of higher costs. Just as Aeropostale
The news hasn't been all bad for Zumiez, though. Shares more than doubled between last August and the end of May, and yesterday, the company announced that same-store sales in May were up 7.8% from a year ago. Yet those cheery results weren't enough to dissuade two analysts from issuing downgrades based on valuation, sending the stock plummeting.
Even if Zumiez were to reach perfection, it probably wouldn't be able to hold onto it very long. Dealing with a changeable customer base is tough, and with thin margins, no dividend, and a high earnings multiple, Zumiez has three big strikes against it.
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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