Washington Post Company Stock Downgraded (WPO)

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Washington Post Company (NYSE:WPO) has been downgraded by TheStreet Ratings from buy to hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its increase in net income, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and good cash flow from operations. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including a generally disappointing performance in the stock itself, disappointing return on equity and feeble growth in the company's earnings per share.

Highlights from the ratings report include:

• The net income growth from the same quarter one year ago has significantly exceeded that of the S&P 500 and the Media industry. The net income increased by 101.7% when compared to the same quarter one year prior, rising from $15.62 million to $31.50 million.
• WPO's debt-to-equity ratio is very low at 0.17 and is currently below that of the industry average, implying that there has been very successful management of debt levels. Along with the favorable debt-to-equity ratio, the company maintains an adequate quick ratio of 1.19, which illustrates the ability to avoid short-term cash problems.
• The gross profit margin for WASHINGTON POST is rather high; currently it is at 51.60%. Regardless of WPO's high profit margin, it has managed to decrease from the same period last year. Despite the mixed results of the gross profit margin, the net profit margin of 3.20% trails the industry average.
• The share price of WASHINGTON POST has not done very well: it is down 20.48% and has underperformed the S&P 500, in part reflecting the company's sharply declining earnings per share when compared to the year-earlier quarter. Looking ahead, other than the push or pull of the broad market, we do not see anything in the company's numbers that may help reverse the decline experienced over the past 12 months. Despite the past decline, the stock is still selling for more than most others in its industry.
• Current return on equity is lower than its ROE from the same quarter one year prior. This is a clear sign of weakness within the company. Compared to other companies in the Media industry and the overall market on the basis of return on equity, WASHINGTON POST underperformed against that of the industry average and is significantly less than that of the S&P 500.

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The Washington Post Company, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a diversified education and media company in the United States and internationally. The company has a P/E ratio of 23.4, above the average diversified services industry P/E ratio of 20 and above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Washington Post has a market cap of $2.15 billion and is part of the services sector and diversified services industry. Shares are down 10.8% year to date as of the close of trading on Monday.

You can view the full Washington Post Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.
-- Written by a member of TheStreet Ratings Staff

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