The Piotroski F-Score is a scoring system between 1-9 that determines a firm’s financial strength.  The score helps determine if a company’s stock is valuable or not.  The Piotroski F-Score of CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI) is 7.  A score of nine indicates a high value stock, while a score of one indicates a low value stock.  The score is calculated by the return on assets (ROA), Cash flow return on assets (CFROA), change in return of assets, and quality of earnings.  It is also calculated by a change in gearing or leverage, liquidity, and change in shares in issue.  The score is also determined by change in gross margin and change in asset turnover.

Many investors get into the stock market with unrealistic expectations. For whatever reason, they may have the mindset that snatching profits is easy. Thinking that profits can be doubled or tripled right away may lead the investor down the road of no return. Although the lucky few might hit some big winners right off the bat, these chances are quite low. Stocks tend to be volatile in the short-term. Unless investors have a game plan ready to capitalize on short-term movements, they may want to take a wider, longer-term approach. Trying to figure out which way the market will turn from one day to the next can be a highly frustrating procedure. Having the patience to thoroughly examine every trade can immensely boost the investor’s chances of surviving and thriving into the future.

Current Ratio

The Current Ratio of CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI) is 5.24. The Current Ratio is used by investors to determine whether a company can pay short term and long term debts. The current ratio looks at all the liquid and non-liquid assets compared to the company’s total current liabilities. A high current ratio indicates that the company might have trouble managing their working capital. A low current ratio (when the current liabilities are higher than the current assets) indicates that the company may have trouble paying their short term obligations.

The Return on Invested Capital (aka ROIC) for CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI) is 0.054965.  The Return on Invested Capital is a ratio that determines whether a company is profitable or not.  It tells investors how well a company is turning their capital into profits.  The ROIC is calculated by dividing the net operating profit (or EBIT) by the employed capital.  The employed capital is calculated by subrating current liabilities from total assets.  Similarly, the Return on Invested Capital Quality ratio is a tool in evaluating the quality of a company’s ROIC over the course of five years.  The ROIC Quality of CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI) is 4.187765.  This is calculated by dividing the five year average ROIC by the Standard Deviation of the 5 year ROIC.  The ROIC 5 year average is calculated using the five year average EBIT, five year average (net working capital and net fixed assets).  The ROIC 5 year average of CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI) is 0.053931.

The Gross Margin Score is calculated by looking at the Gross Margin and the overall stability of the company over the course of 8 years. The score is a number between one and one hundred (1 being best and 100 being the worst). The Gross Margin Score of CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI) is 11.00000. The more stable the company, the lower the score. If a company is less stable over the course of time, they will have a higher score.

MF Rank

The MF Rank (aka the Magic Formula) is a formula that pinpoints a valuable company trading at a good price. The formula is calculated by looking at companies that have a high earnings yield as well as a high return on invested capital. The MF Rank of CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI) is 8070. A company with a low rank is considered a good company to invest in. The Magic Formula was introduced in a book written by Joel Greenblatt, entitled, “The Little Book that Beats the Market”.

The Q.i. Value of CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI) is 38.00000.  The Q.i. Value is a helpful tool in determining if a company is undervalued or not.  The Q.i. Value is calculated using the following ratios: EBITDA Yield, Earnings Yield, FCF Yield, and Liquidity.  The lower the Q.i. value, the more undervalued the company is thought to be.

Turning to Free Cash Flow Growth (FCF Growth), this is the free cash flow of the current year minus the free cash flow from the previous year, divided by last year’s free cash flow.  The FCF Growth of CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI) is -17.822886.  Free cash flow (FCF) is the cash produced by the company minus capital expenditure.  This cash is what a company uses to meet its financial obligations, such as making payments on debt or to pay out dividends.  The Free Cash Flow Score (FCF Score) is a helpful tool in calculating the free cash flow growth with free cash flow stability – this gives investors the overall quality of the free cash flow.  

Value Composite
The Value Composite One (VC1) is a method that investors use to determine a company’s value.  The VC1 of CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI) is 28.  A company with a value of 0 is thought to be an undervalued company, while a company with a value of 100 is considered an overvalued company.  

The VC1 is calculated using the price to book value, price to sales, EBITDA to EV, price to cash flow, and price to earnings.  Similarly, the Value Composite Two (VC2) is calculated with the same ratios, but adds the Shareholder Yield.  The Value Composite Two of CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI) is 24.

Volatility
Stock volatility is a percentage that indicates whether a stock is a desirable purchase.  Investors look at the Volatility 12m to determine if a company has a low volatility percentage or not over the course of a year.  The Volatility 12m of CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI) is 34.702000.  This is calculated by taking weekly log normal returns and standard deviation of the share price over one year annualized.  

The lower the number, a company is thought to have low volatility.  The Volatility 3m is a similar percentage determined by the daily log normal returns and standard deviation of the share price over 3 months.  The Volatility 3m of CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI) is 34.932100.  The Volatility 6m is the same, except measured over the course of six months.  The Volatility 6m is 30.952400.

ERP5 Rank

The ERP5 Rank is an investment tool that analysts use to discover undervalued companies. The ERP5 looks at the Price to Book ratio, Earnings Yield, ROIC and 5 year average ROIC. The ERP5 of CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI) is 9807. The lower the ERP5 rank, the more undervalued a company is thought to be.

On a typical market day there is no shortage of stock news. Investors are often tasked with trying to decipher which news is worth paying attention to and which isn’t. Not only is there plenty of swirling news, there are usually plenty of opinions that follow. Closely following market sentiment can be useful for some, but it may impede others when decisions need to be made. When it comes to dedicated stock research, taking shortcuts may result in disappointing portfolio performance. Investors have to be careful not to be tempted by the hot stocks of the day. Of course, maybe some of those stocks would fit well in the portfolio, but doing individual stock study can help confirm the addition.

At the time of writing, Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL) has a Piotroski F-Score of 7. The F-Score may help discover companies with strengthening balance sheets. The score may also be used to spot the weak performers. Joseph Piotroski developed the F-Score which employs nine different variables based on the company financial statement. A single point is assigned to each test that a stock passes. Typically, a stock scoring an 8 or 9 would be seen as strong. On the other end, a stock with a score from 0-2 would be viewed as weak.

Investors are constantly striving to get on top in the stock market. Everyone wants to find that next winner to jumpstart the portfolio. Investors often identify risk preference when trying to sort out asset allocation. Typically, a greater amount of risk may provide a greater chance for growth. Many investors may struggle with the concept of keeping emotion out of choosing stocks. Equity research often requires a high degree of patience, dedication, and practice. Learning everything possible about the markets can help the individual build a good base to work with. Being able to sort out the data to determine what is relevant information can help with those tough investment decisions.

Return on Invested Capital (ROIC), ROIC Quality, ROIC 5 Year Average

The Return on Invested Capital (aka ROIC) for Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL) is 0.362221. The Return on Invested Capital is a ratio that determines whether a company is profitable or not. It tells investors how well a company is turning their capital into profits. The ROIC is calculated by dividing the net operating profit (or EBIT) by the employed capital. The employed capital is calculated by subrating current liabilities from total assets. Similarly, the Return on Invested Capital Quality ratio is a tool in evaluating the quality of a company’s ROIC over the course of five years. The ROIC Quality of Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL) is 9.963993. This is calculated by dividing the five year average ROIC by the Standard Deviation of the 5 year ROIC. The ROIC 5 year average is calculated using the five year average EBIT, five year average (net working capital and net fixed assets). The ROIC 5 year average of Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL) is 0.285614.

Leverage Ratio

The Leverage Ratio of Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL) is 0.329129. Leverage ratio is the total debt of a company divided by total assets of the current and past year divided by two. Companies take on debt to finance their day to day operations. The leverage ratio can measure how much of a company’s capital comes from debt. With this ratio, investors can better estimate how well a company will be able to pay their long and short term financial obligations.

Return on Assets

There are many different tools to determine whether a company is profitable or not. One of the most popular ratios is the “Return on Assets” (aka ROA). This score indicates how profitable a company is relative to its total assets. The Return on Assets for Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL) is 0.079231. This number is calculated by dividing net income after tax by the company’s total assets. A company that manages their assets well will have a higher return, while a company that manages their assets poorly will have a lower return.

Turning to Free Cash Flow Growth (FCF Growth), this is the free cash flow of the current year minus the free cash flow from the previous year, divided by last year’s free cash flow.  The FCF Growth of Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL) is -0.126055.  Free cash flow (FCF) is the cash produced by the company minus capital expenditure.  This cash is what a company uses to meet its financial obligations, such as making payments on debt or to pay out dividends.  

The Free Cash Flow Score (FCF Score) is a helpful tool in calculating the free cash flow growth with free cash flow stability – this gives investors the overall quality of the free cash flow.  

Stock volatility is a percentage that indicates whether a stock is a desirable purchase.  Investors look at the Volatility 12m to determine if a company has a low volatility percentage or not over the course of a year.  The Volatility 12m of Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL) is 25.549700.  This is calculated by taking weekly log normal returns and standard deviation of the share price over one year annualized.  

The lower the number, a company is thought to have low volatility.  The Volatility 3m is a similar percentage determined by the daily log normal returns and standard deviation of the share price over 3 months.  The Volatility 3m of Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL) is 21.310600.  The Volatility 6m is the same, except measured over the course of six months.  The Volatility 6m is 21.160400.

ERP5 Rank

The ERP5 Rank is an investment tool that analysts use to discover undervalued companies. The ERP5 looks at the Price to Book ratio, Earnings Yield, ROIC and 5 year average ROIC. The ERP5 of Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL) is 6060. The lower the ERP5 rank, the more undervalued a company is thought to be.

MF Rank

The MF Rank (aka the Magic Formula) is a formula that pinpoints a valuable company trading at a good price. The formula is calculated by looking at companies that have a high earnings yield as well as a high return on invested capital. The MF Rank of Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL) is 4653. A company with a low rank is considered a good company to invest in. The Magic Formula was introduced in a book written by Joel Greenblatt, entitled, “The Little Book that Beats the Market”.

Making smart choices when picking stocks is typically a top priority for successful investors. For new investors with little market knowledge, this can be challenging. Figuring out how to start building the stock portfolio may take a lot of time and effort. When the individual investor decides that they want to manage their own portfolio and make their own trades, the journey has just begun. Many individuals will be tempted to pursue stock trading plans based on advice from friends, colleagues, or family members. Even though certain plans may work for someone else, there is no guarantee that success will transfer to others. Investors often need to do their own research in order to obtain as much knowledge as possible before diving in to the markets.      

The Q.i. Value of Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL) is 43.00000.  The Q.i. Value is a helpful tool in determining if a company is undervalued or not.  The Q.i. Value is calculated using the following ratios: EBITDA Yield, Earnings Yield, FCF Yield, and Liquidity.  The lower the Q.i. value, the more undervalued the company is thought to be.

The Value Composite One (VC1) is a method that investors use to determine a company’s value.  The VC1 of Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL) is 57.  A company with a value of 0 is thought to be an undervalued company, while a company with a value of 100 is considered an overvalued company.  The VC1 is calculated using the price to book value, price to sales, EBITDA to EV, price to cash flow, and price to earnings.  Similarly, the Value Composite Two (VC2) is calculated with the same ratios, but adds the Shareholder Yield.  The Value Composite Two of Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL) is 52.

There are so many different aspects to address when attempting to trade the stock market. With all the information available, it can become stressful trying to make sense of everything. Investors who are able to prioritize useful data may be able to make better big picture decisions. Even when all the research is done and the numbers have been crunched, investors still may find themselves forced with the tough decision of when to buy a specific equity. Doing the due diligence and being prepared can be a great asset when forced into a tough situation. Knowing when to pounce on an opportunity can be just as important as knowing when to exit a bad trade. As humans, investors will always be prone to making mistakes. Investors who are able to identify and learn from those mistakes might find themselves in a much better position over the long run.