Zacks.com Highlights: Robert Half International, PetMed Express, Five Below, Patrick Industries And American Eagle Outfitters

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – Jan 16, 2018 - Stocks in this week’s article include: Robert Half International Inc. (NYSE:RHI) , PetMed Express Inc. (NASDAQ:PETS) , Five Below Inc. (NASDAQ:FIVE) , Patrick Industries Inc. (NASDAQ:PATK) and American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (NYSE:AEO) .

Screen of the Week of Zacks Investment Research:

5 Top-Ranked Stocks to Pick on DuPont (NYSE:DWDP) Theory

Return on equity (ROE) is one of the most-favored metrics of investors. It is a profitability ratio that measures earnings generated by a company from its equity. Investors can follow the ROE trend in companies and compare this to historical or industry benchmarks to pick a winning stock.

However, stepping beyond the basic ROE and analyzing it at an advanced level could lead to even better returns. Here is where DuPont analysis comes into play.It is an analytical method, which examines three major elements, namely operating management, management of assets and capital structure to find out the financial condition of a company. Below we show how DuPont breaks down ROE into its different components:

ROE = Net Income/Equity

Net Income / Equity = (Net Income / Sales) * (Sales / Assets) * (Assets / Equity)

ROE = Profit Margin * Asset Turnover Ratio * Equity Multiplier

Why Use DuPont?

Although one cannot brush off the importance of normal ROE calculation, the fact remains that it doesn’t always portray a complete picture. The DuPont analysis, on the other hand, allows investors to assess the elements that play a dominant role in any change in ROE. It can help investors to segregate companies with higher margins from those having a high turnover. For example, high-end fashion brands generally survive on high margins compared with retail goods, which rely on a higher turnover.

And one of the ROE components – equity multiplier (explained below) – can help you judge how burdened a company is with debts. A lofty ROE could be due to the overuse of debt. Thus, the strength of a company can be misleading if it has a high debt load.

So, an investor confined solely to an ROE perspective may be confused if he or she has to judge between two stocks of equal ratio. This is where DuPont analysis wins over and spots the better stock.

Investors can simply do this analysis by taking a look at a company’s financials. However, looking at financial statements of each company separately can be a tedious task. Screening tools like Zacks Research Wizard can come to your rescue and help you shortlist stocks that look impressive with a DuPont analysis.

And that's what we're screening for today…

For the rest of this Screen of the Week article please visit Zacks.com at: https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/288752/5-topranked-stocks-to-pick-on-dupont-theory

Get the remaining 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 back testing 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.

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.

About Screen of the Week

Zacks.com created the first and best screening system on the web earning the distinction as the "#1 site for screening stocks" by Money Magazine. But powerful screening tools is just the start. That is why Zacks created the Screen of the Week to highlight profitable stock picking strategies that investors can actively use.

Strong Stocks that Should Be in the News

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