When founded, when listed
• Major lines of business
• Market share
• Ranking within industry (e.g., largest of four companies...)
• Exports
• Major institutional owners (if any), part of a group?
• Number of employees/shareholders
• Known as a major blue chip?
B. Major Factors
1. Valuation
• How do P/E, dividend yield, P/sales, and P/BV compare with the market and industry?
• Is P/E, etc., attractive in view of growth prospects?
• Do stock prices reflect changes in the company? Historical stock prices.
2. Earnings Growth and Potential
• Cyclical or stable earnings?
• Do market conditions/economy favor growth?
• Is earnings growth accelerating? Why? Temporary or sustainable?
• Sales growth or margin expansion? Why? Sustainable?
• Is company expanding? Are capital expenditures adequate?
• Does company invest in R & D?
3. Financial Condition
• Healthy/stable operating margin, ROE, ROA?
• Acceptable debt/equity, current ratio, interest coverage? Improving or deteriorating?
• Adequate asset turnover?
• Can capital expenditures be financed adequately?
4. Market/International competitiveness
• Is market changing? Growing? Defining?
• What factors make the company/country internationally competitive (labor costs, technology, raw materials, energy, "piggy back" on well-developed industry?
• Who are its world-class competitors in the same country? Abroad? What countries?
5. Management
• Does management have a clear strategic vision? Does vision make sense?
• Is the founder still the manager? How much is the family involved?
• Is there a level of professional managers? What is their reputation?
6. Cost Structure
• Are prices of raw materials likely to fall/increase?
• Major changes in productivity?
• Does a planned expansion offer economies of scale? Or does financing raise interest costs too much in comparison with world-class competitors?