TSC Ratings' Updates: Excel Maritime

TSC Ratings provides exclusive stock, ETF and mutual fund ratings and commentary based on award-winning, proprietary tools. Its "safety first" approach to investing aims to reduce risk while seeking solid outperformance on a total return basis.

The following ratings changes were generated on Tuesday, April 14.

We've upgraded DineEquity(DIN Quote) from sell to hold. Strengths include its robust revenue growth and expanding profit margins. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including deteriorating net income, disappointing return on equity and weak operating cash flow.

Revenue leaped by 66.4% since the year-ago quarter, but EPS declined, though the consensus estimate suggests that the company's two-year trend of declining EPS should reverse in the coming year. DineEquity's gross profit margin of 35.1% has decreased from the same period last year. It's -38.6% net profit margin underperformed the industry average. Return on equity decreased compared with the same quarter last year, implying weakness within the corporation. Net income fell from -$14.3 million in the year-ago quarter to -$137.1 million.

We've downgraded Excel Maritime Carriers(EXM Quote) from hold to sell, driven by its generally disappointing historical performance in the stock itself, deteriorating net income, generally weak debt management, disappointing return on equity and feeble growth in its earnings per share.

Net income fell from $34.1 million in the year-ago quarter to -$329.2 million. The 1.5 debt-to-equity ratio is high compared with the industry average. The company's quick ratio is 0.4. ROE decreased since the year-ago qaurater, implying weakness. EPS also declined, though the consensus estimate suggests that the company's two-year pattern of declining EPS should reverse in the coming year.

Shares tumbled by 76.3% over the past year, underperforming the S&P 500. Despite the heavy decline in its share price, this stock is still more expensive (when compared to its current earnings) than most other companies in its industry. needs.