Stock Shastra #3: You just need to look at 5 Financial Parameters to shortlist a wonderful company!

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We said in Stock Shastra #2 that a wonderful business worth investing in has 3 important characteristics: An Excellent Financial Track Record, A Sustainable Moat and Respectable Management. The first one – An Excellent Financial Track record – is a Go/No-go criterion and hence is critical. It will prevent you from investing in the wrong companies and losing money.

So, what comes to your mind when we talk about company financials?

A big, fat, 100-page Annual Report with reams of data that leave most of us confused!  It seems too difficult, too complex, needing too much time – which you don’t have! However, truth is always simple. Let us now see a simple and powerful lens through which we can identify companies with an Excellent Financial Track record. The answer is Stock Shastra #3:  You just need to look at 5 Financial Parameters to shortlist a wonderful company!

From all the 100+ parameters, all you need are just 5 of them! Earnings per share (EPS); Net Sales; Book Value per share (BVPS); Return on Invested Capital (ROIC); and, Debt-to-Net Profit ratio. Seen together and over 10 years these 5 reveal the truth. Let’s see how!

The truth-revealing 5 Financial parameters

What is the first thing that you will look for in a company before investing? You will check whether it is making Profits, consistently! Since we will be shareholders, we need to look at the profit it earns per share. Hence the first parameter to look for is EPS – Earnings per Share.

How can a company continue to earn profits year after year? By selling more and more every year. Hence, the second parameter to look for is Net Sales.

To increase its sales in the long run, a company will need to expand its capacity. Book Value per Share, BVPS tells us how much a company is investing in expanding its capacity. That’s the third parameter.

Companies in the most basic sense are money-using and money-making machines.  How do we rate a machine? Simple, we look at what it produces in relation to what it uses i.e. efficiency. Companies produce profits using the capital invested (both equity and debt). Hence to know the efficiency with which a company uses its capital, we need to look at Return on Invested Capital (ROIC). That’s the fourth parameter

Finally, if a company borrows money, it should be able to repay it without serious difficulty over a reasonable period of time. Debt-to-Net Profit ratio tells us the number of years in which the company will be able to repay the debt. Hence the fifth parameter to look for is its Debt-to-Net Profit Ratio.

How can you be absolutely sure if a company’s financial track record is great or not?

We have checked over 1500 companies and arrived at a gold standard that only the best meet: A company that has been growing its EPS, Net Sales and BVPS by 12%+ year-on-year; has a ROIC of over 12% every year; and can pay off its debt in less than 3 years i.e. a Debt-to-Net Profit ratio of 3 or less – has a great Financial Track Record. Companies meeting this gold standard are wonderful companies worth short listing.
Such companies are quite likely to have a moat – a sustainable competitive advantage, which has allowed it to post great numbers. So, now you know how important these 5 parameters are!

We are sure your next question now is ‘Where do I get these 5 Financial Parameters, without wasting any time?’ It was ours too earlier. So we searched high and low and found that it was not available anywhere. And, we chose the road less travelled – we decided to make it available These crucial 5 parameters, over 10 years are now available as a simple and powerful 10 YEAR X-RAY at MoneyWorks4me.com

Write to us for any clarifications. We will be glad to be of help

The next Stock Shastra will outline the importance of sustainable competitive advantage, i.e. moat, for any business.  See you soon with Stock Shastra #4….


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Stock Shastra #3: You just need to look at 5 Financial Parameters to shortlist a wonderful company! , 1.0 out of 5 based on 1 rating

You should also read the following:

  1. Stock Shastra #1: Stock Investing is not Rocket Science!
  2. Stock Shastra #2 – Buy a wonderful business and not just a stock!
  3. Stock Shastra #7: A company with Exclusive control can charge a toll
  4. Stock Shastra #39: How do companies manipulate Asset Valuation to project a strong financial health?
  5. Stock Shastra #41: Cash Flow Statement is the least manipulated Financial Statement. Or is it?
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  • http://twitter.com/nck18/status/14300631471 Nikhil Kale

    RT @StockShastra: Stock Shastra #3: You just need to look at 5 Financial Parameters to shortlist a wonderful company! http://bit.ly/d0cNP4

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  • anuj19

    Hi,
    You have not told about PE ratio. it is a important parameter without doubt.

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  • sanjoychatterjee

    good i,hv learned a lot, ur efoort is good, tell some stock name,which small investor can earn.

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  • http://twitter.com/stockshastra/status/14351296504 Stock Shastra

    Stock Shastra #3 Look at just 5 Financials to shortlist a wonderful company http://ow.ly/1Nwdn

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  • http://twitter.com/moneyworks4me/status/14351296503 MoneyWorks4me

    Stock Shastra #3 Look at just 5 Financials to shortlist a wonderful company http://ow.ly/1Nwd6

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  • http://twitter.com/gainsalways/status/14352131213 anand mulgund

    RT @StockShastra: Stock Shastra #3 Look at just 5 Financials to shortlist a wonderful company http://ow.ly/1Nwdn

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  • Anonymous

    One option could be to calculate it on your own, which could be a bit difficult. The other option, as mentioned in the Stock Shastra, is to log on to MoneyWorks4me.com where you will get a 10 YEAR X-RAY with these parameters for more than 1500 companies.

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  • ashish

    It is good but please let me know that how a small invester can find these details and where.

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  • Team_MoneyWorks4me

    Thanks a lot Sanjoy. The Company Shastra in the newsletter, gives you information about some very good companies. However, you will have to invest in them at the right price.

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  • Team_MoneyWorks4me

    Yes, Anuj. PE ratio is a important ratio but from a valuation perspective. A company with a low or high PE does not necessarily mean that it is a great company. For more on this read http://bit.ly/98D1Rp.

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  • http://stockshastra.moneyworks4me.com/learn/stock-shastra-4-look-for-companies-with-unbreachable-moats/ Stock Shastra #4: Look for companies with unbreachable moats | Stock Shastra

    [...] said in Stock Shastra #3 that you need to look at only 5 financial parameters over a 10-year period to shortlist a wonderful [...]

  • http://stockshastra.moneyworks4me.com/learn/timeless-principles-of-stock-investing-2/ Timeless Principles of Stock Investing | Stock Shastra

    [...] Stock Shastra#3: You just need to look at 5 financial parameters to shortlist a wonderful company! [...]

  • http://stockshastra.moneyworks4me.com/learn/stock-shastra-10-look-for-a-trustworthy-management-that-respects-the-interests-of-minority-shareholders/ Stock Shastra #10: Look for a trustworthy management, that respects the interests of minority shareholders | Stock Shastra

    [...] Track Record & Sustainable Competitive Advantage were elaborately discussed in Stock Shastra #3 & #4. Now, coming to the 3rd characteristic; Respectable Management. You need to be sure about [...]

  • http://twitter.com/moneyworks4me/status/19890063900 MoneyWorks4me

    :
    Stock Shastra #3 Look at just 5 Financials to shortlist
    a wonderful company http://ow.ly/1Nwdn http://fb.me/x2GJGkKs

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  • sachin

    Sir,
    Thank U for U R 5 benchmarks for investment. Sir, kindly explain these 5 things with an relistic company financial figures example.
    kindly, mail U R answer to sachin_glowing@rediffmail.com.

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  • http://stockshastra.moneyworks4me.com/learn/stock-shastra-16-information-like-antibiotics-works-best-when-consumed-in-the-right-dosage/ Stock Shastra #16: Information, like antibiotics, works best when consumed in the right dosage | Stock Shastra

    [...] To know more on what financial parameters will help you identify a fundamentally sound company, please read Stock Shastra #3 [...]

  • http://stockshastra.moneyworks4me.com/learn/stock-shastra-20-are-low-pe-stocks-great-bargains/ Stock Shastra #20: Are Low P/E stocks always great bargains? | Stock Shastra

    [...] should always be to check whether the company is fundamentally strong and has performed well in its 5 key parameters over the [...]

  • http://stockshastra.moneyworks4me.com/learn/stock-shastra-23-is-taking-high-risk-a-necessity-for-gaining-higher-returns/ Stock Shastra #23: Is taking high risk a necessity for gaining higher returns?? | Stock Shastra

    [...] for a fundamentally strong company – A company with strong fundamentals i.e. an excellent financial track record and a competitive advantage provides surety of future financial performance to investors. Such [...]

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    [...] the product/service of the company is worth investing in. You should at least have a look at the five key financial parameters and how they have grown to find healthy companies. This will help you in eliminating the weak [...]

  • Fun4raju

    how to calculate the BVPS and ROIC of stock from the balance sheet/financials of the company?

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  • http://stockshastra.moneyworks4me.com/learn/low-priced-stocks-is-better-investment-strategy/ Stock Shastra # 26: Are Low-priced stocks a better bet than High-priced stocks? | Stock Shastra

    [...] Five Key Financial Parameters – The first and the most important step is to look at the past performance of the company as well as its future growth prospects. A company which has recorded consistent growth in its financials and has a sustainable competitive advantage is likely to give you great returns in the future. [...]

  • http://www.MoneyWorks4me.com Team MoneyWorks4me

    BVPS is calculated as Book value/No of shares. Book value is equal to shareholders fund. It can be found in the balance sheet under the heading ‘Shareholders fund’. Number of shares can be found in Schedule 1 under the heading ‘Share Capital’.

    ROIC is calculated as Earnings before interest and depreciation/ Total capital. To read more on this click http://bit.ly/cJtpxa .

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  • http://stockshastra.moneyworks4me.com/learn/stock-shastra-29-learn-to-read-the-signals-of-interest-rate-and-its-impact-on-stock-market/ How does Interest Rate affect the Stock Market | Interest effect on market | Stock Shastra

    [...] or zero debt situation as they won’t be affected by changes in interest rate ( for this check the 5 key financial parameters you should look [...]

  • Ajit1076

    from where can we get the net profit debt ratio?

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  • http://www.MoneyWorks4me.com Team MoneyWorks4me

    You can get all these 5 parameters alongwith the Debt to Net Profit ratio for your companies on our site http://www.moneyworks4me.com. Do check it out.

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  • venkatachalam

    your explanation on bookvalue per share and the debt-to-netprofit ratio is simpler and more understandable than the usual things I have read.

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  • WWW ARMAANDILSE18

    BVPS OF BHEL IS NW 325….WT IT MEANS……..

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  • Jigar

    Would you be able to provide this data even for a company which got listed in the last 2-3 yrs? 

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  • Sudhir kumar

    very simple and great.
    pl update me on my email id- sudhir_crystal@rediffmail.com

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  • http://stockshastra.moneyworks4me.com/learn/check-financial-health-safest-companies-to-invest-in/ Check Financial Health & Safest Companies to invest in 2012 with 10 YEAR X-RAY by MoneyWorks4me | Stock Shastra

    [...] our earlier article on 10 YEAR X-RAY (Stock Shastra #3) we talked about how in order to judge the historical financial performance of any company we need [...]

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