Sanofi Stock Buy Recommendation Reiterated (SNY)

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) -- Sanofi (NYSE:SNY) has been reiterated by TheStreet Ratings as a buy with a ratings score of B . The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, reasonable valuation levels, solid stock price performance and expanding profit margins. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income.

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Highlights from the ratings report include:

• The revenue growth came in higher than the industry average of 7.9%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues rose by 19.3%. This growth in revenue does not appear to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, displayed by a decline in earnings per share.
• SNY's debt-to-equity ratio is very low at 0.19 and is currently below that of the industry average, implying that there has been very successful management of debt levels.
• Looking at where the stock is today compared to one year ago, we find that it is not only higher, but it has also clearly outperformed the rise in the S&P 500 over the same period, despite the company's weak earnings results. Turning our attention to the future direction of the stock, it goes without saying that even the best stocks can fall in an overall down market. However, in any other environment, this stock still has good upside potential despite the fact that it has already risen in the past year.
• SANOFI 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. The company has suffered a declining pattern of earnings per share over the past year. However, we anticipate this trend reversing over the coming year. During the past fiscal year, SANOFI reported lower earnings of $2.48 versus $2.81 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($7.86 versus $2.48).

Sanofi researches, develops, manufactures, and markets healthcare products worldwide. Sanofi has a market cap of $122.35 billion and is part of the health care sector and drugs industry. The company has a P/E ratio of 24.9, above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are down 0.9% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday.

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

--Written by a member of TheStreet Ratings Staff.

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