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Zacks.com featured highlights Arcos Dorados Holdings, Karat Packaging, The Andersons and Option Care Health
Read MoreHide Full Article
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – October 2, 2023 – Stocks in this week’s article are Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc. (ARCO - Free Report) , Karat Packaging Inc. (KRT - Free Report) , The Andersons, Inc. (ANDE - Free Report) and Option Care Health, Inc. (OPCH - Free Report) .
Pick These 4 Solid Net Profit Margin Stocks for Solid 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 insight into how well a company is run and the headwinds weighing on it. Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc., Karat Packaging Inc., The Andersons, Inc. and Option Care Health, Inc. 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.
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 discuss our four picks from the 33 stocks that qualified the screen:
Arcos Dorados operates as a franchisee of McDonald's, with its operations divided in Brazil, North Latin America, South Latin America and the Caribbean divisions. It also runs quick-service restaurants in Latin America and the Caribbean. The stock sports a Zacks Rank of 1 at present and has a VGM Score of A.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Arcos Dorados’ 2023 earnings has been revised upward by 2 cents to 78 cents per share in the past 60 days. ARCO surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate thrice in the trailing four quarters while missing the same on one occasion, the average surprise being 35%.
Karat Packaging is a specialty distributor and manufacturer of disposable food service products and related items. Its products include food and take-out containers, bags, tableware, cups, lids, cutlery, straws, specialty beverage ingredients, equipment, gloves and other products. The stock flaunts a Zacks Rank of 1 at present and has a VGM Score of A.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Karat Packaging’s 2023 earnings has been revised upward by 40 cents to $1.83 per share in the past 60 days. KRT surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate thrice in the trailing four quarters while missing the same on one occasion, the average surprise being 48.8%.
Andersons is a regional grain merchandiser with diversified businesses in agriculture, plant nutrient formulation and distribution, turf product production, railcar marketing and general merchandise retailing. The company maintains grain and production facilities throughout the Midwest and six retail locations in northern and central Ohio. The stock sports a Zacks Rank of 1 at present and has a VGM Score of A.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Andersons’ 2023 earnings has been revised upward by 10 cents to $3.12 per share in the past 30 days. ANDE surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 64.4%.
Option Care Health provides infusion and home care management solutions. The company offers products, services and condition-specific clinical management programs for gastrointestinal abnormalities, infectious diseases, cancer, organ and blood cell transplants, bleeding disorders and heart failures. It currently flaunts a Zacks Rank of 1 and has a VGM Score of A.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Option Care Health’s 2023 earnings has remained unchanged at $1.42 per share in the past 60 days. OPCH surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 57%.
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.
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.
Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +6.2 average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +46.4%, +49.5% and +55.2% per year. Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation.
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.
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/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
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Zacks.com featured highlights Arcos Dorados Holdings, Karat Packaging, The Andersons and Option Care Health
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – October 2, 2023 – Stocks in this week’s article are Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc. (ARCO - Free Report) , Karat Packaging Inc. (KRT - Free Report) , The Andersons, Inc. (ANDE - Free Report) and Option Care Health, Inc. (OPCH - Free Report) .
Pick These 4 Solid Net Profit Margin Stocks for Solid 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 insight into how well a company is run and the headwinds weighing on it. Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc., Karat Packaging Inc., The Andersons, Inc. and Option Care Health, Inc. 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.
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 discuss our four picks from the 33 stocks that qualified the screen:
Arcos Dorados operates as a franchisee of McDonald's, with its operations divided in Brazil, North Latin America, South Latin America and the Caribbean divisions. It also runs quick-service restaurants in Latin America and the Caribbean. The stock sports a Zacks Rank of 1 at present and has a VGM Score of A.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Arcos Dorados’ 2023 earnings has been revised upward by 2 cents to 78 cents per share in the past 60 days. ARCO surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate thrice in the trailing four quarters while missing the same on one occasion, the average surprise being 35%.
Karat Packaging is a specialty distributor and manufacturer of disposable food service products and related items. Its products include food and take-out containers, bags, tableware, cups, lids, cutlery, straws, specialty beverage ingredients, equipment, gloves and other products. The stock flaunts a Zacks Rank of 1 at present and has a VGM Score of A.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Karat Packaging’s 2023 earnings has been revised upward by 40 cents to $1.83 per share in the past 60 days. KRT surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate thrice in the trailing four quarters while missing the same on one occasion, the average surprise being 48.8%.
Andersons is a regional grain merchandiser with diversified businesses in agriculture, plant nutrient formulation and distribution, turf product production, railcar marketing and general merchandise retailing. The company maintains grain and production facilities throughout the Midwest and six retail locations in northern and central Ohio. The stock sports a Zacks Rank of 1 at present and has a VGM Score of A.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Andersons’ 2023 earnings has been revised upward by 10 cents to $3.12 per share in the past 30 days. ANDE surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 64.4%.
Option Care Health provides infusion and home care management solutions. The company offers products, services and condition-specific clinical management programs for gastrointestinal abnormalities, infectious diseases, cancer, organ and blood cell transplants, bleeding disorders and heart failures. It currently flaunts a Zacks Rank of 1 and has a VGM Score of A.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Option Care Health’s 2023 earnings has remained unchanged at $1.42 per share in the past 60 days. OPCH surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 57%.
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/2157603/pick-these-4-solid-net-profit-margin-stocks-for-solid-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.
Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks’ portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance.
Why Haven’t You Looked at Zacks' Top Stocks?
Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +6.2 average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +46.4%, +49.5% and +55.2% per year. Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation.
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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/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.