Gross margin score spotlight: REA Group and Builder FirstSource, Inc.

Builders FirstSource, Inc., a national real estate developer, has reported a current MF Rank of 1772

Developed by hedge fund manager Joel Greenblatt, the intention of the formula is to spot high quality companies that are trading at an attractive price. The formula uses ROIC and earnings yield ratios to find quality, undervalued stocks. In general, companies with the lowest combined rank may be the higher quality picks.

Scanning the equity markets, it is quite obvious that there are plenty of stocks to choose from. This may make things a bit overwhelming for the beginner investor, but it should also be seen as a great opportunity. Of course, studying up on every single stock may be nearly impossible. Just focusing in on a few different stocks at a time that pique the interest may be the way to start. Investors are often bombarded with stock picking strategies and sure bet winners. Some of the information might end up being correct, but a lot of it may turn out to be nonsense. If investors decide to manage their own money, they may want to make sure that no stone is left unturned. Doing the proper amount of research can work wonders for the health of a portfolio over the course of time. Following a proven market guru may work for some, but it may leave others with many questions that have gone unanswered. What works for one investor may not work for another.

Free Cash Flow Growth (FCF Growth) is the free cash flow of the current year minus the free cash flow from the previous year, divided by last year’s free cash flow.  The FCF Growth of Builders FirstSource, Inc. is 15.371540.  Free cash flow (FCF) is the cash produced by the company minus capital expenditure.  This cash is what a company uses to meet its financial obligations, such as making payments on debt or to pay out dividends.  

The Free Cash Flow Score (FCF Score) is a helpful tool in calculating the free cash flow growth with free cash flow stability – this gives investors the overall quality of the free cash flow.  The FCF Score of Builders FirstSource, Inc. is 11.174666.  Experts say the higher the value, the better, as it means that the free cash flow is high, or the variability of free cash flow is low or both.

The Return on Invested Capital (aka ROIC) for Builders FirstSource, Inc. is 0.239673.  The Return on Invested Capital is a ratio that determines whether a company is profitable or not.  It tells investors how well a company is turning their capital into profits.  The ROIC is calculated by dividing the net operating profit (or EBIT) by the employed capital.  The employed capital is calculated by subrating current liabilities from total assets.  Similarly, the Return on Invested Capital Quality ratio is a tool in evaluating the quality of a company’s ROIC over the course of five years.  The ROIC Quality of Builders FirstSource, Inc. is 3.953570.  This is calculated by dividing the five year average ROIC by the Standard Deviation of the 5 year ROIC.  The ROIC 5 year average is calculated using the five year average EBIT, five year average (net working capital and net fixed assets).  The ROIC 5 year average of Builders FirstSource, Inc. is 0.169453.

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