NCI Inc. Stock Downgraded (NCIT)

Editor's Note: 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.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- NCI (Nasdaq:NCIT) has been downgraded by TheStreet Ratings from hold to sell. The company's weaknesses can be seen in multiple areas, such as its feeble growth in its earnings per share, deteriorating net income, disappointing return on equity, poor profit margins and generally disappointing historical performance in the stock itself.

• EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Jim Cramer's Protégé, Dave Peltier, only buys Stocks Under $10 that he thinks could potentially double. See what he's trading today with a 14-day FREE pass.

Highlights from the ratings report include:

• NCI INC has exprienced a steep decline in earnings per share in the most recent quarter in comparison to its performance from the same quarter a year ago. Earnings per share have declined over the last two years. We anticipate that this should continue in the coming year. During the past fiscal year, NCI INC reported lower earnings of $0.95 versus $1.72 in the prior year. For the next year, the market is expecting a contraction of 62.1% in earnings ($0.36 versus $0.95).
• The company, on the basis of change in net income from the same quarter one year ago, has significantly underperformed when compared to that of the S&P 500 and the IT Services industry. The net income has significantly decreased by 1685.2% when compared to the same quarter one year ago, falling from $3.48 million to -$55.20 million.
• Return on equity has greatly decreased when compared to its ROE from the same quarter one year prior. This is a signal of major weakness within the corporation. Compared to other companies in the IT Services industry and the overall market, NCI INC's return on equity significantly trails that of both the industry average and the S&P 500.
• The gross profit margin for NCI INC is currently extremely low, coming in at 12.80%. Regardless of NCIT's low profit margin, it has managed to increase from the same period last year. Despite the mixed results of the gross profit margin, NCIT's net profit margin of -62.40% significantly underperformed when compared to the industry average.
• Despite any intermediate fluctuations, we have only bad news to report on this stock's performance over the last year: it has tumbled by 56.12%, worse than the S&P 500's performance. Consistent with the plunge in the stock price, the company's earnings per share are down 1768.00% compared to the year-earlier quarter. Naturally, the overall market trend is bound to be a significant factor. However, in one sense, the stock's sharp decline last year is a positive for future investors, making it cheaper (in proportion to its earnings over the past year) than most other stocks in its industry. But due to other concerns, we feel the stock is still not a good buy right now.

.

NCI, Inc. provides information technology (IT) and professional services and solutions to the United States Federal Government defense, intelligence, and civilian agencies. The company has a P/E ratio of 11.2, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. NCI has a market cap of $48.8 million and is part of the technology sector and computer software & services industry. Shares are down 52.9% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday.

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

-- Written by a member of TheStreet Ratings Staff

FREE for a limited time only: Get TheStreet Ratings #1 Stock Report NOW!.

 

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

• NCI Inc. Stock Price

• NCI Inc. Analyst Ratings

• NCI Inc. Key Stats & Profile

• NCI Inc. Earnings

• NCI Inc. Ratio Comparison

• NCI Inc. Growth Rates

• NCI Inc. Balance Sheet

• NCI Inc. Cash Flow

• NCI Inc. Income Statement