Efficiency level measures a company’s capability to transform available input into output and is often considered an important parameter for gauging a company’s potential to make profits. One must consider popular efficiency ratios while selecting stocks. These are the efficiency ratios:

Inventory Turnover: The ratio of 12-month cost of goods sold (COGS) to a four-quarter average inventory is considered one of the most popular efficiency ratios. It indicates a company’s ability to maintain a suitable inventory position. While a high value indicates that the company has a relatively low inventory level compared to COGS, a low value indicates that the company is facing declining sales, which resulted in excess inventory.

Receivables Turnover:  This is the ratio of 12-month sales to four-quarter average receivables. It shows a company’s potential to extend its credit and collect debt in terms of that credit. A high receivables turnover ratio or the “accounts receivable turnover ratio” or “debtor’s turnover ratio” is desirable as it shows that the company is capable of collecting its accounts receivables or that it has quality customers.

Operating Margin: This efficiency measure is the ratio of operating income over the past 12 months to sales over the same period. It measures a company’s ability to control operating expenses. Hence, a high value of the ratio may indicate that the company manages its operating expenses more efficiently than its peers.

Asset Utilization: This ratio indicates a company’s capability to convert assets into output and is thus a widely known measure of efficiency level. It is calculated by dividing total sales over the past 12 months by the last four-quarter average of total assets. Like the above ratios, high asset utilization may indicate that a company is efficient.

The Winning Strategy

In addition to the above-mentioned ratios, we have added a favorable Zacks Rank — Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) — to the screen intending to make this strategy more profitable. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Operating Margin, Asset Utilization, Inventory Turnover and Receivables Turnover greater than industry average.

(Values of these ratios higher than industry averages may indicate that the efficiency level of the company is higher than its peers.)   

The use of these few criteria narrowed down the universe of more than 7,906 stocks to 17.

Here are the top three stocks that made it through the screen:

Ternium S.A. TX is the leading producer of flat and long steel products in Latin America. It has an average four-quarter earnings surprise of 77.1%.

Centrus Energy Corp. LEU is a supplier of enriched uranium fuel for commercial nuclear power plants. It has an average four-quarter earnings surprise of 231.8%.

Sanderson Farms, Inc. SAFM is a poultry processing company that produces, processes, markets and distributes fresh and frozen chicken products. It has an average four-quarter earnings surprise of 496.3%.

You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge.

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.

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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.

Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks’ portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance

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Ternium S.A. (TX) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Sanderson Farms, Inc. (SAFM) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Centrus Energy Corp. (LEU) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
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