Best Stocks with Predictive Metrics + Cheatsheet

ValueRay simplifies stock selection ✓ Quickly identify high-potential stocks using proven predictive metrics and make better investment decisions.

Top 24 Stocks by GARP Metrics and Peer-Group Analyses

Select Metrics

ValueRay Rating

Buy / Sell Signal

Relative Strength

Idiosyncratic Strength

Idiosyncratic Share

3M Return

12M Return

Alpha

Beta

Volatility

Overall Safety Ranking

Piotroski Score

ROIC minus WACC

Earnings Surprise

Analyst Revisions Ratio

ROIC Peer Ranking

Forward P/E

Dividend Yield
SYMBOL	MKT CAP	VRT	SIGNAL	RS	IS	IS SHARE	PERF 3M	PERF 12M	ALPHA	BETA	VOLATILITY	SAFETY	PIOTROSKI	ROIC-WACC	SUE	REVISIONS	ROIC RANK	FWD P/E	DIV YIELD
STX _NASDAQ Seagate Technology	183B	90	1.0	99	89	60%	-10.5%	320.8%	270.9%	2.81	65.3%	82	8	39.1 pp	6.79	+96%	80	21.9	0.9%
HALO _NASDAQ Halozyme Therapeutics	12.8B	84	0.9	96	98	85%	56.8%	54.0%	46.9%	-0.04	37.2%	65	9	13.0 pp	4.47	+31%	91	11.5	-
KO _NYSE The Coca-Cola	380B	83	0.4	77	90	58%	9.8%	36.6%	36.4%	-0.37	15.5%	83	7	13.6 pp	4.54	+71%	59	25.2	2.6%
ATRO _NASDAQ Astronics	2.83B	82	0.6	84	83	80%	-20.6%	98.4%	80.6%	1.33	53.6%	95	8	5.4 pp	3.76	+62%	90	27.2	-
KEYS _NYSE Keysight Technologies	57.0B	80	1.3	91	93	51%	0.6%	110.2%	77.6%	1.89	36.5%	80	8	1.5 pp	7.93	+91%	72	21.3	-
NDSN _NASDAQ Nordson	17.4B	80	1.1	80	90	76%	7.3%	48.9%	29.2%	1.05	21.9%	87	8	3.1 pp	5.22	+84%	72	23.8	1.2%
BMY _NYSE Bristol-Myers Squibb	129B	76	0.4	78	77	80%	14.8%	51.8%	43.1%	0.14	29.6%	79	7	10.2 pp	7.45	+87%	85	9.6	4.7%
OII _NYSE Oceaneering International	4.60B	76	0.9	93	93	69%	17.5%	82.6%	61.8%	1.29	42.8%	78	6	2.9 pp	4.66	+55%	86	18.8	-
SXT _NYSE Sensient Technologies	5.50B	76	0.6	83	84	87%	6.4%	35.7%	24.7%	0.25	29.2%	89	6	2.3 pp	3.84	+79%	67	22.7	1.6%
MILDEF _ST MilDef	1.13B	76	0.7	97	98	90%	50.5%	23.7%	22.6%	-0.19	57.5%	74	7	8.5 pp	1.80	+46%	85	28.4	0.4%
CHEF _NASDAQ The Chefs Warehouse	4.49B	75	0.7	94	95	91%	16.9%	84.9%	73.1%	0.60	36.1%	88	4	1.5 pp	5.91	+90%	50	25.6	-
DGX _NYSE Quest Diagnostics	27.3B	75	0.7	80	88	101%	15.1%	29.7%	25.8%	-0.10	22.3%	84	7	3.6 pp	6.83	+89%	58	20.6	1.7%
CSCO _NASDAQ Cisco Systems	435B	75	0.7	78	76	69%	-10.0%	60.5%	45.2%	0.90	35.5%	80	7	6.4 pp	8.00	+93%	78	20.1	2.1%
PAYC _NYSE Paycom Software	10.2B	74	1.0	94	95	74%	77.4%	3.6%	-9.1%	0.53	41.6%	84	7	19.4 pp	6.92	+95%	91	17.2	1.0%
CON _NYSE Concentra Holdings Parent	4.53B	74	1.1	93	94	75%	18.5%	71.9%	60.5%	0.47	29.2%	74	6	5.2 pp	5.72	+84%	78	18.8	1.0%
AMGN _NASDAQ Amgen	205B	74	0.8	84	85	87%	18.2%	57.1%	46.0%	0.17	28.1%	68	6	8.6 pp	5.81	+72%	89	15.4	2.7%
HURN _NASDAQ Huron Consulting	2.53B	73	1.4	88	98	86%	71.3%	10.6%	12.3%	-0.45	34.2%	78	7	6.8 pp	4.06	+56%	62	15.4	-
CAKE _NASDAQ The Cheesecake Factory	4.77B	70	1.1	97	99	62%	32.5%	95.9%	78.7%	0.79	36.5%	66	4	2.2 pp	7.94	+94%	57	21.0	1.8%
PBI _NYSE Pitney Bowes	2.27B	69	0.2	84	78	91%	-5.9%	46.4%	25.1%	0.84	37.6%	87	7	10.9 pp	1.19	+46%	84	9.4	3.0%
AMN _NYSE AMN Healthcare	1.33B	69	1.2	95	92	83%	6.9%	93.0%	70.4%	1.01	50.7%	85	5	1.9 pp	4.44	+43%	62	18.0	-
JILL _NYSE J.Jill	365M	66	1.5	96	99	94%	63.8%	42.7%	21.0%	1.20	46.0%	68	4	3.6 pp	4.93	+59%	43	7.2	2.3%
NESTE _HE Neste Oil	30.8B	66	1.2	93	88	81%	24.8%	103.5%	97.9%	0.34	43.5%	85	6	6.6 pp	-0.03	+81%	53	13.7	0.7%
REP _MC Repsol S.A.	37.2B	66	1.3	96	93	52%	47.0%	109.5%	110.6%	0.07	32.2%	74	6	3.8 pp	-0.37	+27%	52	6.3	5.6%
KARO _NASDAQ Karooooo	1.98B	66	0.1	82	86	86%	28.6%	11.6%	-2.8%	0.90	56.4%	79	7	14.8 pp	0.20	+9%	87	25.8	2.4%

How We Filter

Valuation & Momentum

Forward P/E 5 - 30

RS (IBD) > 80

Idiosyncratic Score > 85

Quality & Risk

VR Total Rating > 65

Altman-Z'' > 1.5

Beneish-M < -2.1

Peers & Earnings

ROIC > 50th percentile

Gross Margin > 50th percentile

EPS + Rev SUE > 1.5

Approach: High-quality industry leaders with strong momentum that beat earnings expectations - combining fundamental strength with peer outperformance, expecting a Post-Earnings Announcement Drift.

The Four Principles of Profitable Investing

1. Economic Moat

High switching costs, unbeatable prices, intangible assets (patents, trademarks, approvals, brand, geographic advantage) or network effects (first mover = legal monopolist).

2. Buy at Fair Value or below

Evaluate historical P/E, P/B and P/S over the last 10 years. Run a DCF valuation with a margin of safety.

3. Let it Compound

Avoid trading - commissions, taxes and you will miss the best spots by 10% anyway.

4. Know when to sell

It was a mistake to buy in the first place.
The stock became wildly overvalued (P/E Forward, PEG in the 90+ percentile of its peer group).
The moat has been destroyed or fundamentals are deteriorating.
You need the money for something that matters more (inner peace > portfolio).

Generic Screener Recommendations

Average Volume > 250,000

Ensures smaller spreads and faster execution. For options trading: > 1,000,000.

Market Cap > $500M

Avoids nano caps and reduces risk of price manipulation. For options: > $5B.

Price > $7

Avoids penny stocks — often come with information problems and manipulation risk.

Age > 2 years

Ensures access to at least 2 fiscal years or 8 quarters of financial data.

Recommended Fundamental Ratios

Profitability

ROIC > 15%

Net Profit Margin > 20%

FCF Margin > 7%

Growth

Revenue Growth > 10% YoY

EPS Growth > 10% YoY

Debt

Net Debt / EBITDA < 3

Net Debt / FCF < 4

Debt / Equity < 80%

ROIC > WACC

Analyzing Earning Sheets

Low volatility of margins

Historically, gross margins should be stable and predictable.

Pricing power

High gross margins > 30%.

Low Capital Intensity

CAPEX/Sales < 5% and CAPEX/OCF < 15%.

Skin in the Game

Owner & Family > 20% of shares.

Comparing Financial Ratios Business

Sustainable, high ROIC (> WACC) with recurring revenues, high gross margins and low capital intensity.

Best CAPEX/Sales in peer group.

Capital Allocation (by priority)

1. Reinvest for organic growth

ROIC > 20%, historically stable.

2. Acquisitions

60%–90% don't create value.

3. Share buybacks

Preferable over dividends.

4. Dividends

20%–35% of EPS (only in absence of better alternatives).

How to Analyze a Stock

Understand the Product

Annual reports, investor presentations, shareholder letters.

Revenue Split

Segment diversification (reliance on one product or customer group?) and geographic split (geopolitical risks?).

Skin in the Game

There are 1,000 reasons to sell a stock, but only one to buy. Which insiders are buying/holding?

Moat

Check the ROIC curve over 3–5 years. The more stable, the higher the moat.

Capital Intensity

CAPEX/Sales < 5%, CAPEX/OCF < 15%.

Financial Health

Interest Coverage (EBIT/Interest) > 10, Net Debt/FCF < 4.

Profitability

Gross Margin > 30%, FCF Margin > 20% (industry-dependent).

Historical Growth

Revenue > 5% YoY, Earnings > 7% YoY.

Outlook

Secular trends: urbanization, aging, cybersecurity, obesity, digital payments.