Credit: Shutterstock photoThe following are today's upgrades for Validea's Growth Investor model based on the published strategy of Martin Zweig . This strategy looks for growth stocks with persistent accelerating earnings and sales growth, reasonable valuations and low debt.
INDEPENDENCE HOLDING COMPANY ( IHC ) is a small-cap value stock in the Insurance (Life) industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Martin Zweig changed from 77% to 85% based on the firm's underlying fundamentals and the stock's valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Independence Holding Company ( IHC ) is a holding company principally engaged in the life and health insurance business. The Company's segments include Medical Stop-Loss; Fully Insured Health; Group disability, life and DBL; Individual life, annuities and other, and Corporate. The Company is a writer across the nation of excess or stop-loss insurance for self-insured employer groups that desire to manage the risk of large medical claims (Medical Stop-Loss). The Fully Insured Health segment includes various categories, such as ancillary benefits, including dental, vision, short-term medical ( STM ), supplemental products (including fixed indemnity limited benefit, critical illness, and hospital indemnity); pet insurance, and non-subscriber occupational accident. The Group Disability segment comprises long term disability (LTD) and disability benefits law ( DBL ). It provides specialized disability, and health coverage and related services to commercial customers and individuals.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
For a full detailed analysis using NASDAQ's Guru Analysis tool, click here
COLONY BANKCORP INC ( CBAN ) is a small-cap growth stock in the Regional Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Martin Zweig changed from 62% to 85% based on the firm's underlying fundamentals and the stock's valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Colony Bankcorp, Inc. (Colony) is a bank holding company. The Company operates through its subsidiary, Colony Bank (the Bank). The Bank offers traditional banking products and services to commercial and consumer customers in its markets. The Bank's product line includes loans to small and medium-sized businesses, residential and commercial construction and land development loans, commercial real estate loans, commercial loans, agri-business and production loans, residential mortgage loans, home equity loans, consumer loans and a range of demand, savings and time deposit products, among others. The Bank also offers Internet banking services, electronic bill payment services, safe deposit box rentals, telephone banking, credit and debit card services, remote depository products and access to a network of automated teller machines (ATMs) to its customers. It conducts a full service commercial, consumer and mortgage banking business through approximately 30 offices in various cities.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
For a full detailed analysis using NASDAQ's Guru Analysis tool, click here
BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA ( BNS ) is a large-cap value stock in the Regional Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Martin Zweig changed from 77% to 85% based on the firm's underlying fundamentals and the stock's valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: The Bank of Nova Scotia is an international bank and a financial services provider in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central America, and Asia-Pacific. The Bank offers a range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. Its segments include Canadian Banking, which provides a suite of financial advice and banking solutions to retail, small business, commercial and wealth management customers in Canada; International Banking, which provides a range of financial products, solutions and advice to retail and commercial customers in select regions outside of Canada; Global Banking and Markets, which provides corporate banking, investment banking, capital markets and transaction banking solutions, and Other, which represents smaller operating segments, including Group Treasury.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
For a full detailed analysis using NASDAQ's Guru Analysis tool, click here
FIVE BELOW INC (FIVE) is a mid-cap growth stock in the Retail (Department & Discount) industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Martin Zweig changed from 85% to 92% based on the firm's underlying fundamentals and the stock's valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Five Below, Inc. is a specialty retailer offering a range of merchandise for teen and pre-teen customer. The Company offers an assortment of products, including select brands and licensed merchandise across a range of categories, including Style, Room, Sports, Tech, Crafts, Party, Candy and Now. Its product groups include leisure, fashion and home, and party and snack. Its Leisure includes items, such as sporting goods, games, toys, tech, books, electronic accessories, and arts and crafts. Its Fashion and home includes items, such as personal accessories, attitude t-shirts, beauty offerings, home goods and storage options. Its Party and snack includes items, such as party and seasonal goods, greeting cards, candy and other snacks, and beverages. The Company operated 522 locations across over 31 states throughout the Northeast, South and Midwest regions of the United States, as of January 29, 2017. Its typical store featured 4,000 stock-keeping units (SKUs), as of January 29, 2017.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
For a full detailed analysis using NASDAQ's Guru Analysis tool, click here
Since its inception, Validea's strategy based on Martin Zweig has returned 431.77% vs. 165.74% for the S&P 500. For more details on this strategy, click here
About Martin Zweig : During the 15 years that it was monitored, Zweig's stock recommendation newsletter returned an average of 15.9 percent per year, during which time it was ranked number one based on risk-adjusted returns by Hulbert Financial Digest. Zweig has managed both mutual and hedge funds during his career, and he's put the fortune he's compiled to some interesting uses. He has owned what Forbes reported was the most expensive apartment in New York, a $70 million penthouse that sits atop Manhattan's Pierre Hotel, and he is a collector of all sorts of pop culture and historical memorabilia -- among his purchases are the gun used by Clint Eastwood in "Dirty Harry", a stock certificate signed by Commodore Vanderbilt, and even two old-fashioned gas pumps similar to those he'd seen at a nearby gas station while growing up in Cleveland, according to published reports.
About Validea : Validea is aninvestment researchservice that follows the published strategies of investment legends. Validea offers both stock analysis and model portfolios based on gurus who have outperformed the market over the long-term, including Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Peter Lynch and Martin Zweig. For more information about Validea, click here
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
