Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Zacks.com featured highlights include Industrias Bachoco S.A.B. de C.V., AMN Healthcare, Veritiv and CONSOL Energy

Read MoreHide Full Article

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – September 6, 2022 – Stocks in this week’s article are Industrias Bachoco, S.A.B. de C.V. (IBA - Free Report) , AMN Healthcare Services, Inc. (AMN - Free Report) , Veritiv Corp. and CONSOL Energy Inc. (CEIX - Free Report) .

Solid Net Profit Margins Make These 4 Stocks Worth Buying Now

The primary purpose of a business is to generate profits that can be reinvested in expansion or utilized for rewarding shareholders. Net profit margin is an effective tool to measure the profits reaped by a business.

A higher net margin underlines a company's efficiency in translating sales into actual profits. Moreover, this metric gives insight into how well a company is run and the headwinds weighing on it. Industrias Bachoco S.A.B. de C.V., AMN Healthcare Services, Inc., Veritiv Corp. and CONSOL Energy Inc. all boast solid net profit margins.

Net Profit Margin = Net profit/Sales * 100.

In simple terms, net profit is the amount a company retains after deducting all costs, interest, depreciation, taxes and other expenses. In fact, the net profit margin can turn out to be a potent point of reference to gauge the strength of a company's operations and its cost-control measures.

Also, higher net profit is essential for rewarding stakeholders. Further, strength in the metric not only attracts investors but also draws well-skilled employees who eventually enhance a business' value.

Moreover, a higher net profit margin compared with its peers provides a company with a competitive edge.

Pros and Cons

Net profit margin helps investors gain clarity on a company's business model in terms of pricing policy, cost structure and manufacturing efficiency. Hence, a strong net profit margin is preferred by all classes of investors.

However, net profit margin, as an investment criterion, has its share of pitfalls. The metric varies widely from industry to industry. While net income is a key metric for investment measurement in traditional industries, it is not that important for technology companies.

In addition, the difference in accounting treatment of various items — especially non-cash expenses like depreciation and stock-based compensation — makes comparison a daunting task.

Furthermore, for companies preferring to grow with debt instead of equity funding, higher interest expenses usually weigh on net profit. In such cases, the measure is rendered ineffective while analyzing a company's performance.

The Winning Strategy

A healthy net profit margin and solid EPS growth are the two most sought-after elements in a business model.

Apart from these, we have added a few criteria to ensure maximum returns from this strategy.

Here we have picked four stocks — Industrias Bachoco, AMN Healthcare, Veritiv and CONSOL Energy — from the 61 stocks that qualified the screen:

Industrias Bachoco began its operations in 1952 in the state of Sonora, Mexico, and has since grown into the country's undisputed leader in poultry production and is one of the world's top 10 producers. It also produces and distributes eggs, swine and balanced feed. Industrias Bachoco sports a Zacks Rank of 1, at present, and has a VGM Score of A.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Industrias Bachoco's 2022 earnings has been revised upward to $6.05 per share from $5.16 in the past 30 days. IBA surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 61.9%.

AMN Healthcare is a travel healthcare staffing company. Its business has evolved beyond traditional healthcare staffing and recruitment services. It has become a strategic total talent solutions partner for its clients. At present, the stock sports a Zacks Rank #1 and has a VGM Score of A.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate of $11.26 for AMN Healthcare's current-year earnings has moved 85 cents north in the past 30 days. AMN surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 15.7%.

Veritiv engages in offering North American business-to-business distribution solutions. It provides packaging, print and print management, publishing, supply chain, facility and logistics solutions that span the entire lifecycle of core business operations. Veritiv currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 and has a VGM Score of A.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate of $21.25 for Veritiv's 2022 earnings has moved 15.5% north in the past 30 days. VRTV surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 37%.

CONSOL Energy is a producer and exporter of high-Btu bituminous thermal and crossover metallurgical coal. It owns and operates productive longwall mining operations, primarily in the Northern Appalachian Basin. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank of 1 and has a VGM Score of B.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CONSOL Energy's 2022 earnings has been revised upward to $9.55 per share from $5.56 in the past 30 days. CEIX surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate thrice in the trailing four quarters while missing the same on one occasion, the average surprise being 15.8%.

Get the rest of the stocks on the list and start putting this and other ideas to the test. It can all be done with the Research Wizard stock picking and back testing software.

The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.

Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today.

For the rest of this Screen of the Week article please visit Zacks.com at: https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/1975647/solid-net-profit-margin-makes-these-4-stocks-worth-buying-now

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 options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.

About Screen of the Week

Zacks.com created the first and best screening system on the web earning the distinction as the "#1 site for screening stocks" by Money Magazine.  But powerful screening tools is just the start. That is why Zacks created the Screen of the Week to highlight profitable stock picking strategies that investors can actively use.

Strong Stocks that Should Be in the News

Many are little publicized and fly under the Wall Street radar. They're virtually unknown to the general public. Yet today's 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buys" were generated by the stock-picking system that has more than doubled the market from 1988 through 2016. Its average gain has been a stellar +25% per year. See these high-potential stocks free >>.

Follow us on Twitter:  https://www.twitter.com/zacksresearch

Join us on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ZacksInvestmentResearch

Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.

Contact: Jim Giaquinto

Company: Zacks.com

Phone: 312-265-9268

Email: pr@zacks.com

Visit: https://www.zacks.com/

Zacks.com provides investment resources and informs you of these resources, which you may choose to use in making your own investment decisions. Zacks is providing information on this resource to you subject to the Zacks "Terms and Conditions of Service" disclaimer. www.zacks.com/disclaimer.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


AMN Healthcare Services Inc (AMN) - free report >>

Consol Energy Inc. (CEIX) - free report >>

Industrias Bachoco, S.A. de C.V. (IBA) - free report >>

Published in