This is our short term rating system that serves as a timeliness indicator for stocks over the next 1 to 3 months. How good is it? See rankings and related performance below.

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The VGM Scores are a complementary set of indicators to use alongside the Zacks Rank. It allows the user to better focus on the stocks that are the best fit for his or her personal trading style.

The VGM score is based on the trading styles of Growth, Value, and Momentum.

Within the VGM Score, stocks are graded into five groups: A, B, C, D and F. As you might remember from your school days, an A is better than a B; a B is better than a C; a C is better than a D; and a D is better than an F.

As an investor, you want to buy stocks with the highest probability of success. That means you want to buy stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2, Strong Buy or Buy, which also has a Score of an A or a B in your personal trading style.

Zacks Style Scores Education - Learn more about the Zacks Style Scores.

The Cash/Price ratio is calculated as cash and marketable securities per share divided by the stock price. This is also referred to as the cash yield.

Like the earnings yield, which shows the anticipated yield (or return) on a stock based on the earnings and the price paid, the cash yield does the same, but with cash being the numerator instead of earnings. For example, a cash/price ratio, or cash yield, of .08 suggests an 8% return or 8 cents for every $1 of investment.

Enterprise Value / Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization is a valuation metric used to measure a company's value and is helpful in comparing one stock to another.

Enterprise Value (EV) is Market Capitalization + Debt - Cash. Many investors prefer EV to just Market Cap as a better way to determine the value of a company. EBITDA, as the acronym depicts, is earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. That means these items are added back into the net income to produce this earnings number. Since there is a fair amount of discretion in what's included and not included in the 'ITDA' portion of this calculation, it is considered a non-GAAP metric. The EV/EBITDA ratio is a valuation multiple and is often used in addition, or as an alternative, to the P/E ratio. And like the P/E ratio, a lower number is typically considered 'better' than a higher number.

The PEG ratio is the P/E ratio divided by its long-term growth rate consensus. This ratio essentially compares the P/E to its growth rate, thus, for many, telling a more complete story than just the P/E ratio alone.

Conventional wisdom says that a PEG ratio of 1 or less is considered good (at par or undervalued to its growth rate). A value greater than 1, in general, is not as good (overvalued to its growth rate). For example, a company with a P/E ratio of 25 and a growth rate of 20% would have a PEG ratio of 1.25 (25 / 20 = 1.25). A company with a P/E ratio of 40 and a growth rate of 50% would have a PEG ratio of 0.80 (40 / 50 = 0.80). Traditionally, investors would look at the stock with the lower P/E and deem it a bargain. But when compared to its growth rate, it does't have the earnings growth to justify its P/E. In this example, the one with the P/E of 40 is the better bargain because it is selling at a discount to its growth rate. So the PEG ratio tells you what you're paying for each unit of earnings growth.

The Price to Book ratio or P/B is calculated as market capitalization divided by its book value. (Book value is defined as total assets minus liabilities, preferred stocks, and intangible assets.) In short, this is how much a company is worth. Investors use this metric to determine how a company's stock price stacks up to its intrinsic value.

A P/B of 1 means it's selling at its per share book value. A P/B of 2 means it's selling at 2 times its book value. A P/B of 0.5 means its selling at half its book value. Note; companies will typically sell for more than their book value in much the same way that a company will sell at a multiple of its earnings. The median P/B ratio for stocks in the S&P is just over 3. While a P/B of less than 3 would mean it's trading at a discount to the market, different industries have different median P/B values. So, as with other valuation metrics, it's a good idea to compare it to its relevant industry.

The Price to Cash Flow ratio or P/CF is price divided by its cash flow per share. It's another great way to determine whether a company is undervalued or overvalued with the denominator being cash flow.

One of the reasons why some investors prefer the P/CF ratio over the P/E ratio is because the net income of the cash flow portion rightly adds depreciation and amortization back in since these are not cash expenditures. In contrast, the net income that goes into the earnings portion of the P/E ratio does not add these in, thus artificially reducing the income and skewing the P/E ratio. Like the P/E ratio, a lower number is considered better. A value under 20 is generally considered good. Our testing substantiates this with the optimum range for price performance between 0-20.

The Price to Earnings ratio or P/E is price divided by earnings. It is the most commonly used metric for determining a company's value relative to its earnings. In this example, we are using the consensus earnings estimate for the Current Fiscal Year (F1).

A stock with a P/E ratio of 20, for example, is said to be trading at 20 times its annual earnings. In general, a lower number or multiple is usually considered better that a higher one. Value investors will typically look for stocks with P/E ratios under 20, while growth investors and momentum investors are often willing to pay much more. Aside from using absolute numbers, however, you can also find value by comparing the P/E ratio to its relevant industry and its peers.

The Price to Sales ratio or P/S is calculated as price divided by sales. After the P/E ratio, it's one of the most common valuation metrics.

If the P/S ratio is 1, that means you're paying $1 for every $1 of sales the company makes. A P/S ratio of 2 means you're paying $2 for every $1 of sales the company makes. In general, the lower the ratio is the better. For example, a P/S ratio of 0.5 means you're paying 50 cents for every $1 of sales the company makes. One of the reasons some investors prefer the P/S ratio over other metrics like the P/E ratio is because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement than earnings. While our testing has found that a P/S ratio of <2 is the optimum range for returns, be sure to compare this ratio to its respective industry.

The Earnings Yield (also known as the E/P ratio) measures the anticipated yield (or return) an investment in a stock could give you based on the earnings and the price paid. It is essentially the inverse of the P/E ratio. It's calculated as earnings divided by price.

For example, a stock trading at $35 with earnings of $3 would have an earnings yield of 0.0857 or 8.57%. A yield of 8.57% also means 8.57 cents of earnings for $1 of investment. The most common way this ratio is used is to compare it to other stocks and to compare it to the 10 Year T-Bill. Conventional wisdom also has it that if the yield on the stock market (S&P 500 for example) is lower that the yield on the 10 Yr., then stocks would be considered overvalued. Conversely, if the yield on stocks is higher than the 10 Yr., then stocks would be considered undervalued. Since bonds and stocks compete for investors' dollars, a higher yield typically needs to be paid to the stock investor for the extra risk being assumed vs. the virtual risk-free investment offered in U.S.-backed Treasuries.

Debt to Equity (or D/E ratio) is total liabilities divided by total shareholder equity. It is used to help gauge a company's financial health.

A higher number means the company has more debt to equity, whereas a lower number means it has less debt to equity. A D/E ratio of 1 means its debt is equivalent to its common equity. When comparing this ratio to different stocks in different industries, take note that some businesses are more capital intensive than others. A D/E ratio of 2 might be par for the course in one industry, while 0.50 would be considered normal for another. So it's a good idea to compare a stock's debt to equity ratio to its industry to see how it stacks up to its peers first.

Cash Flow per share ($/share) calculates the amount of incoming cash vs. the amount of outgoing cash for a company. Cash flow can be found on the cash flow statement. It's then divided by the number of shares outstanding to determine how much cash is generated per share. It's used by investors as a measure of financial health.

Cash is vital to a company in order to finance operations, invest in the business, pay expenses, etc. Since cash can't be manipulated like earnings can, it's a preferred metric for analysts. Using this item along with the 'Current Cash Flow Growth Rate' (in the Growth category above), and the 'Price to Cash Flow ratio' (several items above in this same Value category), will give you a well-rounded indication of the amount of cash they are generating, the rate of their cash flow growth, and the stock price relative to its cash flow.

This is our short term rating system that serves as a timeliness indicator for stocks over the next 1 to 3 months. How good is it? See rankings and related performance below.

Zacks Rank Education - Learn about the Zacks Rank

Zacks Rank Home - Zacks Rank resources in one place

Zacks Premium - The way to access to the Zacks Rank

The VGM Scores are a complementary set of indicators to use alongside the Zacks Rank. It allows the user to better focus on the stocks that are the best fit for his or her personal trading style.

The VGM score is based on the trading styles of Growth, Value, and Momentum.

Within the VGM Score, stocks are graded into five groups: A, B, C, D and F. As you might remember from your school days, an A is better than a B; a B is better than a C; a C is better than a D; and a D is better than an F.

As an investor, you want to buy stocks with the highest probability of success. That means you want to buy stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2, Strong Buy or Buy, which also has a Score of an A or a B in your personal trading style.

Zacks Style Scores Education - Learn more about the Zacks Style Scores.

Historical EPS Growth Rate looks at the average annual (trailing 12 months) EPS growth rate over the last 3-5 years of actual earnings.

This longer-term historical perspective lets the user see how a company has grown over time. Note: there are many factors that can influence the longer-term number, not the least of which is the overall state of the economy (recession will reduce this number for example, while a recovery will inflate it), which can skew comparisons when looking out over shorter time frames. The longer-term perspective helps smooth out short-term events.

Projected EPS Growth looks at the estimated growth rate for one year. It takes the consensus estimate for the current fiscal year (F1) divided by the EPS for the last completed fiscal year (F0) (actual if reported, the consensus if not).

Growth traders and investors will tend to look for growth rates of 20% or higher. That does not mean that all companies with large growth rates will have a favorable Growth Score. Many other growth items are considered as well. But, typically, an aggressive growth trader will be interested in the higher growth rates.

Current Cash Flow Growth measures the percent change in the year over year Cash Flow. Cash Flow is net income plus depreciation and other non-cash charges. A strong cash flow is important for covering interest payments, particularly for highly leveraged companies.

Cash Flow is a measurement of a company's health. It's typically categorized as a valuation metric and is most often quoted as Cash Flow per Share and as a Price to Cash flow ratio. In this case, it's the cash flow growth that's being looked at. A positive change in the cash flow is desired and shows that more 'cash' is coming in than 'cash' going out.

The Historical Cash Flow Growth is the longer-term (3-5 year annualized) growth rate of the cash flow change. Once again, cash flow is net income plus depreciation and other non-cash charges.

Cash flow itself is an important item on the income statement. While the one year change shows the current conditions, the longer look-back period shows how this metric has changed over time and helps put the current reading into proper perspective. Also, by looking at the rate of this item, rather than the actual dollar value, it makes for easier comparisons across the industry and peers.

The Current Ratio is defined as current assets divided by current liabilities. It measures a company's ability to pay short-term obligations. It's also commonly referred to as a 'liquidity ratio'.

A ratio of 1 means a company's assets are equal to its liabilities. Less than 1 means its liabilities exceed its short-term assets (cash, inventory, receivables, etc.). Above 1 means it assets are greater than its liabilities. A ratio of 2 means its assets are twice that of its liabilities. A higher number is better than a lower number. A 'good' number would usually fall within the range of 1.5 to 3. Like most ratios, this number will vary from industry to industry.

Debt to Capital (or D/C ratio) is the fraction of debt (including mortgages and long-term leases) to long-term capitalization.

This measure is expressed as a percentage. A higher number means the more debt a company has compared to its capital structure. Investors like this metric as it shows how a company finances its operations, i.e., what percentage is financed thru shareholder equity or debt. A ratio under 40% is generally considered to be good.But note; this ratio can vary widely from industry to industry. So be sure to compare it to its group when comparing stocks in different industries.

Net Margin is defined as net income divided by sales. This shows the percentage of profit a company earns on its sales.

If a company's net margin is 15%, for example, that means its net income (or profit) is 15 cents for every $1 of sales the company makes. A change in margin can reflect either a change in business conditions, or a company's cost controls, or both. If a company's expenses are growing faster than their sales, this will reduce their margins. But note, different industries have different margin rates that are considered good. And margin rates can vary significantly across these different groups. So, when comparing one stock to another in a different industry, it's best make relative comparisons to that stock's respective industry values.

Return on Equity (or ROE) is calculated as income divided by average shareholder equity (past 12 months, including reinvested earnings). The income number is listed on a company's Income Statement. Shareholder Equity (which is the difference between Total Assets and Total Liabilities) can be found on the Balance Sheet.

ROE is always expressed as a percentage. A company with an ROE of 10%, for example, means it created 10 cents of assets for every $1 of shareholder equity in a given year. Seeing how a company makes use of its equity, and the return generated on it, is an important measure to look at. ROE values, like other values, can vary significantly from one industry to another.

The Sales to Assets ratio (or Sales to Total Assets or S/TA for short) shows how much sales are generated from a company's assets. As the name suggests, it's calculated as sales divided by assets. This is also commonly referred to as the Asset Utilization ratio.

A higher number is better than a lower one as it shows how effective a company is at generating revenue from its assets. A sales/assets ratio of 2.50 means the company generated $2.50 in revenue for every $1.00 of assets on its books.

The Projected Sales Growth (F1/F0) looks at the estimated growth rate for the current year. It takes the consensus sales estimate for the current fiscal year (F1) divided by the sales for the last completed fiscal year (F0) (actual if reported, the consensus if not).

While earnings are the driving metric behind stock prices, there wouldn't be any earnings to calculate if there weren't any sales to begin with. Like earnings, a higher growth rate is better than a lower growth rate. Seeing a company's projected sales growth instantly tells you what the outlook is for their products and services. As a point of reference, over the last 10 years, the median sales growth for the stocks in the S&P 500 was 14%. Of course, different industries will have different growth rates that are considered good. So be sure to compare a stock to its industry's growth rate when sizing up stocks from different groups.

This is our short term rating system that serves as a timeliness indicator for stocks over the next 1 to 3 months. How good is it? See rankings and related performance below.

Zacks Rank Education - Learn about the Zacks Rank

Zacks Rank Home - Zacks Rank resources in one place

Zacks Premium - The way to access to the Zacks Rank

The VGM Scores are a complementary set of indicators to use alongside the Zacks Rank. It allows the user to better focus on the stocks that are the best fit for his or her personal trading style.

The VGM score is based on the trading styles of Growth, Value, and Momentum.

Within the VGM Score, stocks are graded into five groups: A, B, C, D and F. As you might remember from your school days, an A is better than a B; a B is better than a C; a C is better than a D; and a D is better than an F.

As an investor, you want to buy stocks with the highest probability of success. That means you want to buy stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2, Strong Buy or Buy, which also has a Score of an A or a B in your personal trading style.

Zacks Style Scores Education - Learn more about the Zacks Style Scores.

The Daily Price Change displays the day's percentage price change using the most recently completed close. This item is updated at 9 pm EST each day.

While the hover-quote on Zacks.com, as well as the various tables, displays the delayed intraday quote and price change, this display shows the daily change as of the most recently completed trading day. This is useful for obvious reasons, but can also put the current day's intraday gains into better context by knowing if the recently completed trading day was up or down.

The 1 Week Price Change displays the percentage price change over the last 5 trading days using the most recently completed close to the close from 5 days before.

The 1 week price change reflects the collective buying and selling sentiment over the short-term. A strong weekly advance (especially when accompanied by increased volume) is a sought after metric for putting potential momentum stocks onto one's radar. Others will look for a pullback on the week as a good entry point, assuming the longer-term price changes (4 week, 12 weeks, etc.) are strong. The Momentum Score takes all of this and more into account.

The 4 Week Price Change displays the percentage price change for the most recently completed 4 weeks (20 trading days).

This is a medium-term price change metric. The 4 week price change is a good reference point for the individual stock and how it's performed in relation to its peers.

The 12 Week Price Change displays the percentage price change over the most recently completed 12 weeks (60 days).

This is a medium-term price change metric (like the 4 week price change). With 12 weeks representing a meaningful part of a year, this time period will show whether a stock has been enjoying strong investor demand, or if it's in consolidation, or distress.

The 52 Week Price Change displays the percentage price change over the most recently completed 52 weeks (260 trading days).

This is a longer-term price change metric. The 52 week price change is a good reference point. Some investors seek out stocks with the best percentage price change over the last 52 weeks, expecting that momentum to continue. Others look for those that have lagged the market, believing those are the ones ripe for the biggest increases to come. Regardless of the many ways investors use this item, whether looking at a stock's price change, an index's return, or a portfolio manager's performance, this time-frame is a common judging metric in the financial industry.

The 20 Day Average Volume is the average daily trading volume over the last 20 trading days.

Volume is a useful item in many ways. For one, part of trading is being able to get in and out of a stock easily. If the volume is too light, in absolute terms or for a relatively large position, it could be difficult to execute a trade. This is also useful to know when comparing a stock's daily volume (which can be found on a ticker's hover-quote) to that of its average volume. A rising stock on above average volume is typically a bullish sign whereas a declining stock on above average volume is typically bearish. As they say, 'price follows volume'. The 20 day average establishes this baseline.

The (F1) EPS Estimate Weekly Change calculates the percentage change in the consensus earnings estimate for the current year (F1) over the last week.

Earnings estimate revisions are the most important factor influencing stocks prices. It's an integral part of the Zacks Rank and a critical part in effective stock evaluation. If a stock's EPS consensus estimate is $1.10 now vs. $1.00 the week before, that will be reflected as a 10% change. If, on the other hand, it went from $1.00 to 90 cents, that would be a -10% change in the consensus estimate revision.

The (F1) EPS Estimate Monthly Change calculates the percentage change in the consensus earnings estimate for the current year (F1) over the last 4 weeks.

Seeing a stock's EPS change over 1 week is important. But, it's made even more meaningful when looking at the longer-term 4 week percent change. And, of course, the 4 week change helps put the 1 week change into context.

The (F1) EPS Estimate Quarterly Change calculates the percentage change in the consensus earnings estimate for the current year (F1) over the last 12 weeks.

This time period essentially shows you how the consensus estimate has changed from the time of their last earnings report. Ideally, an investor would like to see a positive EPS change percentage in all periods, i.e., 1 week, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks.

The (Q1) EPS Estimate Monthly Change calculates the percentage change in the consensus earnings estimate for the current quarter (Q1) over the last 4 weeks.

While the F1 consensus estimate and revision is a key driver of stock prices, the Q1 consensus is an important item as well, especially over the short-term, and particularly as a stock approaches its earnings date. If a stock's Q1 estimate revision decreases leading up to its earnings release, that's usually a negative sign, whereas an increase is typically a positive sign. The change is made all the more important the closer proximity it is to the stock's earnings date since it is generally believed that the most recent estimates are the most accurate since it's using the most up-to-date information leading up to the report.