It's basketball season again, and while Lebron "King" James rules the hardwood, we're interested in companies crushing the market average.
When one thinks of steady stellar performers of the past six years, popular stocks such as eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY), Moody's (NYSE:MCO), and FedEx (NYSE:FDX) come to mind. And though not blessed with the catchy moniker of super performers Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) and Pixar (NASDAQ:PIXR), a little-known entity with a snorer of a name is quietly doing its part to wallop the market average.
Since 1999, Corporate Executive Board's (NASDAQ:EXBD) stock has gained a reverse alley-oop to the tune of 600%. Its powerful display of free cash flow caught the eye of Tom Gardner and became an August 2002 recommendation in Motley Fool Stock Advisor. The stock pick didn't disappoint, continuing its "from the foul line" flight trajectory with a 139.1% return, compared with the S&P 500's 28.9% over the same period.
What does Tom Gardner think of the company now that it's priced at around $67? If you are a casual reader of The Motley Fool, take the opportunity to become more involved in this dynamic investing community. You'll be surprised at who may stop by to drop a message on the board of one of your favorite stocks. Recently, Tom posted his thoughts on Corporate Executive Board, where he contends the company still has market-beating potential for those with a long-term investing approach.
Let's take a closer look. From its most recent quarterly report, we find the company is continuing its strong growth. With quarterly revenues of $74.4 million and net income of $11.9 million, its year-over-year growth sits at 34.7% and 116.8%, respectively. And an important measure of its membership performance, its annualized contract value nine months ending, has risen to $270.5 million, a 30.2% increase compared with the same period a year ago.
While its growth continues its gravity-defying ways, how is its valuation holding up? With cash of $52.5 million and no long-term debt, Corporate Executive Board is currently tagged with an enterprise value (EV) of $2.5 billion. Accounting for its latest quarter, the company's trailing-12-month structural free cash flow (SFCF) stands at a healthy $50.4 million -- giving it a fully valued EV-to-SFCF of 49.6.
Much like NBA teams pay up to grab superstar hoopsters, investors too must face the same decision to pay a premium for top-notch performers. Don't let Corporate Executive Board's rich valuation scare you away -- even at this level, the company could continue its high-flying, market-beating ways.
In addition to Corporate Executive Board, eBay, FedEx, Moody's, and Pixar are all Motley Fool Stock Advisor recommendations. Want to learn more? Subscribe today with the benefit of a six-month money-back guarantee.
Fool contributor Jeremy MacNealy owns no shares of companies mentioned.
