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An ill-informed investor can lose cash if he wagers on a stock only on the basis of the numbers flashing on a real-time stock screen. A critical analysis of a company’s financial background is always required for a better investment decision, especially at a time when the stock market is juggling myriad issues.

Often, investors evaluate a company’s performance by simply looking at its sales and earnings, which sometimes do not reveal the real picture. To be more precise, they do not tell whether a company’s fundamentals are sound enough to meet its financial obligations. Here, the coverage ratio comes into play — the higher the metric, the more efficient an enterprise will be in meeting its financial obligations.

Why Interest Coverage Ratio?

The interest coverage ratio is used to determine how effectively a company can pay interest charges on its debt.

Debt, which is crucial to financing operations for the majority of companies, comes at a cost called interest. Interest expense has a direct bearing on the profitability of a company. The company’s creditworthiness depends on how effectively it meets its interest obligations. Therefore, interest coverage ratio is one of the important criteria to factor in before making any investment decision.

Interest Coverage Ratio = Earnings before Interest & Taxes (EBIT) divided by Interest Expense.

Interest coverage ratio suggests how many times the interest could be paid from earnings and gauges the margin of safety a firm has for paying interest.

An interest coverage ratio lower than one suggests that the company is unable to fulfill its interest obligations and could default on repaying debt. A company capable of generating earnings well above its interest expense can withstand financial hardships. One should also track the company’s past performance to determine whether the interest coverage ratio has improved or worsened over a period of time.

Everest Group, Ltd. (EG), Modine Manufacturing Company (MOD), Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. (STRL) and Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO) boast an impressive interest coverage ratio.

The Winning Strategy

Apart from having an interest coverage ratio that is more than the industry average, adding a favorable Zacks Rank and a VGM Score of A or B to your search criteria should lead to better results.

Interest coverage ratio greater than X-Industry Median

Price greater than or equal to 5: The stocks must all be trading at a minimum of $5 or higher.

5-Year Historical EPS Growth (%) greater than X-Industry Median: Stocks with a strong EPS growth history.

Projected EPS Growth (%) greater than X-Industry Median: This is the projected EPS growth over the next three to five years. This shows that the stock has near-term earnings growth potential.

Average 20-Day Volume greater than 100,000: A substantial trading volume ensures that the stock is easily tradable.

Zacks Rank less than or equal to 2: Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) stocks are known to outperform irrespective of the market environment.

VGM Score of less than or equal to B: Our research shows that stocks with a VGM Score of A or B, when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2, offer the best upside potential.

Here are four of the 11 stocks that qualified the screening:

Everest Group, a global underwriting leader providing best-in-class property, casualty and specialty reinsurance and insurance solutions, sports a Zacks Rank #1 and has a VGM Score of A. 

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Everest Group’s current financial year sales and earnings per share (EPS) suggests growth of 19.4% and 105.3%, respectively, from the year-ago period’s levels. Everest Group has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 24.5%, on average. The stock has advanced 6.8% in the past year.

Modine Manufacturing, a diversified global leader in thermal management technology and solutions, carries a Zacks Rank #2 and has a VGM Score of A.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Modine Manufacturing’s current financial year sales and EPS suggests growth of 6.7% and 55.9%, respectively, from the year-ago period’s levels. MOD has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 47%, on average. The stock has skyrocketed 194.5% in the past year.

Sterling Infrastructure, which is engaged in e-infrastructure, transportation and building solutions, carries a Zacks Rank #2 and has a VGM Score of A.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Sterling Infrastructure’s current financial year sales and EPS suggests growth of 4.7% and 32.6%, respectively, from the year-ago period. Sterling Infrastructure has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 12.2%, on average. The stock has rallied 156.6% in the past year.

Atmos Energy, engaged in regulated natural gas distribution, and pipeline and storage businesses, carries a Zacks Rank #2 and has a VGM Score of A.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Atmos Energy’s current financial year sales and EPS suggests growth of 23.4% and 7.2%, respectively, from the year-ago period. Atmos Energy has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 1.1%, on average. The stock has declined 1.2% in the past year.

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