Matrix Service Company Stock Upgraded (MTRX)

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Matrix Service Company (Nasdaq:MTRX) has been upgraded by TheStreet Ratings from hold to buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its solid stock price performance, growth in earnings per share, revenue growth, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and attractive valuation levels. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company shows weak operating cash flow.

Highlights from the ratings report include:

• The stock has risen over the past year as investors have generally rewarded the company for its earnings growth and other positive factors like the ones we have cited in this report. Looking ahead, unless broad bear market conditions prevail, we still see more upside potential for this stock, despite the fact that it has already risen over the past year.
• MATRIX SERVICE CO has improved earnings per share by 8.3% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. The company has demonstrated a pattern of positive earnings per share growth over the past year. We feel that this trend should continue. During the past fiscal year, MATRIX SERVICE CO increased its bottom line by earning $0.71 versus $0.18 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($0.90 versus $0.71).
• Despite its growing revenue, the company underperformed as compared with the industry average of 15.7%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues rose by 11.5%. This growth in revenue appears to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, improving the earnings per share.
• MTRX's debt-to-equity ratio is very low at 0.00 and is currently below that of the industry average, implying that there has been very successful management of debt levels. To add to this, MTRX has a quick ratio of 1.51, which demonstrates the ability of the company to cover short-term liquidity needs.

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Matrix Service Company provides construction, and repair and maintenance services primarily to the energy and energy related industries in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Construction Services, and Repair and Maintenance Services. The company has a P/E ratio of 16.9, above the average materials & construction industry P/E ratio of 15.1 and below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Matrix Service has a market cap of $279.6 million and is part of the industrial goods sector and materials & construction industry. Shares are up 30.8% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday.

You can view the full Matrix Service Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.
-- Written by a member of TheStreet RatingsStaff

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