Juniper Networks Inc. Stock Hold Recommendation Reiterated (JNPR)

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Juniper Networks (NYSE:JNPR) has been reiterated by TheStreet Ratings as a hold with a ratings score of C. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and expanding profit margins. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including a generally disappointing performance in the stock itself, deteriorating net income and disappointing return on equity.

• ACTIVE STOCK TRADERS: Check out TheStreet's special offer for Real Money, headlined by Jim Cramer, now!

Highlights from the ratings report include:

• Although JNPR's debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14 is very low, it is currently higher than that of the industry average. Along with this, the company maintains a quick ratio of 2.85, which clearly demonstrates the ability to cover short-term cash needs.
• The gross profit margin for JUNIPER NETWORKS INC is rather high; currently it is at 65.50%. Regardless of JNPR's high profit margin, it has managed to decrease from the same period last year. Despite the mixed results of the gross profit margin, JNPR's net profit margin of 1.60% is significantly lower than the same period one year prior.
• Net operating cash flow has significantly decreased to $102.27 million or 57.32% when compared to the same quarter last year. In addition, when comparing to the industry average, the firm's growth rate is much lower.
• The company's current return on equity has slightly decreased from the same quarter one year prior. This implies a minor weakness in the organization. Compared to other companies in the Communications Equipment industry and the overall market, JUNIPER NETWORKS INC's return on equity significantly trails that of both the industry average and the S&P 500.

Juniper Networks, Inc. designs, develops, and sells products and services that provide network infrastructure for networking requirements of service providers, enterprises, governments, and research and public sector organizations worldwide. The company has a P/E ratio of 28.4, above the average computer hardware industry P/E ratio of 27.9and above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Juniper has a market cap of $8.72 billion and is part of the technology sector and computer hardware industry. Shares are down 18% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday.

You can view the full Juniper Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

--Written by a member of TheStreet Ratings Staff.

TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

For more information on Juniper Networks Inc. click any of the following:

• Juniper Networks Inc. Stock Price

• Juniper Networks Inc. Analyst Ratings

• Juniper Networks Inc. Key Stats & Profile

• Juniper Networks Inc. Earnings

• Juniper Networks Inc. Ratio Comparison

• Juniper Networks Inc. Growth Rates

• Juniper Networks Inc. Balance Sheet

• Juniper Networks Inc. Cash Flow

• Juniper Networks Inc. Income Statement