Wednesday, 8 July 2009

What to look for: Consistency

Important attributes to look for in an earnings statement - CONSISTENCY

Long-term growth should be sustainable and consistent.

Look for sustained growth across business cycles.

A big pop in earnings one year followed by malaise for the next two does not paint a pretty picture. Long, consistent successful earnings track records get the A grades.

Beyond earnings, consistency is a desired feature for other parts of the earnings statement.

Consistency is highly prized in:
  • sales and sales growth,
  • profit margins and margin growth, and
  • operating expense and expense trends.

The less consistency, the more difficult to predict the future five or ten years and beyond, and the less attractive a company looks to value investors.

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