Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Zacks.com featured highlights include StoneX Group, Harte Hanks, Veritiv and AMN Healthcare Services

Read MoreHide Full Article

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – January 17, 2023 – Stocks in this week’s article are StoneX Group (SNEX - Free Report) , Harte Hanks (HHS - Free Report) , Veritiv and AMN Healthcare Services (AMN - Free Report) .

4 Solid Net Profit Margin Stocks to Maximize Portfolio Returns

Investors eye businesses that generate profits on a regular basis. In order to gauge the extent of profits, there is no better metric than net profit margin.

A higher net margin underlines a company's efficiency in translating sales into actual profits. Moreover, this metric lends an insight into how well a company is run and the headwinds weighing on it. StoneX Group, Harte Hanks, Veritiv and AMN Healthcare Services 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 attracts investors and draws well-skilled employees, who eventually enhance business value.

Moreover, a higher net profit margin compared with its peers provides the 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.

Here we discuss our four picks from the 33 stocks that qualified the screen:

StoneX Group, formerly known as INTL FCStone Inc., provides financial services. The company, through its subsidiaries, offers execution, post-trade settlement, clearing and custody services. StoneX Group sports a Zacks Rank of 1, at present, and has a VGM Score of A.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for StoneX Group's fiscal 2023 earnings has been revised upward by 36 cents to $9.07 per share in the past seven days. SNEX surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 58.2%.

Harte Hanks is a data-driven, omnichannel marketing company. The company offers customer data landscape as well as the executional know-how in database build and management, data analytics, data-driven creativity, digital media, direct mail, customer contact, client fulfillment and marketing and product logistics. The company currently sports a Zacks Rank of 1 and has a VGM Score of A.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Harte Hanks' 2023 earnings has been revised upward by 5 cents to $1.80 per share in the past 60 days. HHS surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 219.8%.

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. At present, the stock sports a Zacks Rank #1 and has a VGM Score of B.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for VRTV's 2023 earnings has been revised upward to $16.80 per share from $16.15 in the past 30 days. Veritiv surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 31.3 %.

AMN Healthcare is a travel healthcare staffing company. Its business has evolved beyond traditional healthcare staffing and recruitment services, making it a strategic total talent solutions partner for its clients. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank of 2 and has a VGM Score of A.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AMN Healthcare's 2023 earnings has been revised upward by a penny to $8.44 per share in the past seven days. AMN surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 11%.

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 backtesting 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/2039484/4-solid-net-profit-margin-stocks-to-maximize-portfolio-returns

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 >>

Harte Hanks, Inc. (HHS) - free report >>

StoneX Group Inc. (SNEX) - free report >>

Published in