Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Reasons to Retain MAXIMUS (MMS) Stock in Your Portfolio

Read MoreHide Full Article

MAXIMUS, Inc. (MMS - Free Report) has an impressive Growth Score of B. This style score condenses all the essential metrics from the company’s financial statements to get a true sense of quality and sustainability of its growth. The company’s earnings for fiscal 2021 are expected to grow 7.1% year over year.

The stock has gained 11.5% in the past three months, outperforming the 10.1% rally of the industry it belongs to.

Factors That Auger Well

With more than 40 years of experience, MAXIMUS has grown to be a leading operator of government health and human services programs globally. The company’s business-process management expertise and ability to deliver cost-effective, efficient and high-scale solutions position it as a lucrative partner for governments. MAXIMUS maintains solid relationships and strong reputation with governments, and long-term contracts provide it with predictable recurring-revenue streams.

MAXIMUS has a diversified portfolio with high operating profit margin, high cash conversion and access to a $400 million credit facility. The company’s financial flexibility enables it to pursue business investment and strategic acquisition opportunities as well as reward shareholders through dividends.

MAXIMUS’ debt level has decreased quarter over quarter.  Total debt at the end of fourth-quarter fiscal 2020 was $29 million, compared with $152 million at the end of the prior quarter. The total-debt-to-total-capital ratio of 0.02 was lower than the previous quarter’s 0.11 and the industry’s 0.60. Lower debt-to-capitalization ratio indicates that the proportion of debt to finance the company’s assets is declining and so is the risk of insolvency. Further, cash and cash equivalent balance of $72 million at the end of the fourth-quarter fiscal 2020 was enough to meet the short-term debt of $11 million.

A Hurdle to Counter

Poor performance of the Outside the U.S. segment has been weighing on MAXIMUS’ top line and margins for quite some time. The segment’s revenues declined 9.2% year over year in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020, with the operating loss amounting to $0.6 million. The segment has experienced the highest impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Other Stocks to Consider

MAXIMUS currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better-ranked stocks in the broader Zacks Business Services sector are ManpowerGroup (MAN - Free Report) , FactSet Research (FDS - Free Report) and Cross Country Healthcare (CCRN - Free Report) , each carrying a Zacks #2 Rank (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The long-term expected earnings per share (three to five years) growth rate for ManpowerGroup, FactSet and Cross Country Healthcare is 3.5%, 8.5% and 12%, respectively.

Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a Generation

Be among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, it’s expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity.

A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks’ just-released special report reveals 8 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time.

See 8 breakthrough stocks now>>

Published in