StockStory points to margins and cash flow at three S&P 500 firms

StockStory named Altria, Wabtec and Raymond James as S&P 500 companies it believes are positioned to outperform. Its case cited profitability and cash flow, as well as revenue growth and share buybacks at some of the firms.

For Altria, StockStory highlighted a 93.6% gross margin and a 54.1% operating margin over two years. It also described the company’s free cash flow as strong. The article listed Altria at $67.14 per share and 11.7 times forward earnings.

StockStory said Wabtec’s operating margin expanded by 4 percentage points over five years. It cited a 12.2% free cash flow margin and said buybacks helped earnings per share grow faster than revenue. Wabtec was listed at $286.79 per share and 25 times forward earnings.

For Raymond James, the publisher pointed to 10.8% annual revenue growth over two years, which it said was above the sector average. It also cited share buybacks and a market-beating return on equity. The article listed Raymond James at $159.74 per share and 11.5 times forward earnings.