Resource America Inc. CL A Stock Upgraded (REXI)

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) -- Resource America Inc. CL A (Nasdaq: REXI) 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, impressive record of earnings per share growth, compelling growth in net income, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and notable return on equity. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company shows low profit margins.

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Highlights from the ratings report include:

• Powered by its strong earnings growth of 26.66% and other important driving factors, this stock has surged by 42.52% over the past year, outperforming the rise in the S&P 500 Index during the same period. Regarding the stock's future course, although almost any stock can fall in a broad market decline, REXI should continue to move higher despite the fact that it has already enjoyed a very nice gain in the past year.
• RESOURCE AMERICA INC has improved earnings per share by 26.7% 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 two years. During the past fiscal year, RESOURCE AMERICA INC turned its bottom line around by earning $1.22 versus -$0.30 in the prior year.
• The net income growth from the same quarter one year ago has greatly exceeded that of the S&P 500, but is less than that of the Diversified Financial Services industry average. The net income increased by 23.6% when compared to the same quarter one year prior, going from -$2.98 million to -$2.28 million.
• REXI's debt-to-equity ratio is very low at 0.16 and is currently below that of the industry average, implying that there has been very successful management of debt levels.
• The company's current return on equity greatly increased when compared to its ROE from the same quarter one year prior. This is a signal of significant strength within the corporation. Compared to other companies in the Diversified Financial Services industry and the overall market, RESOURCE AMERICA INC's return on equity exceeds that of both the industry average and the S&P 500.

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Resource America, Inc. operates as an asset management company. The company, through its subsidiaries, operates in three segments: Financial Fund Management; Real Estate; and Equipment Finance. The company has a P/E ratio of 6.2, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Resource America Inc. CL A has a market cap of $156 million and is part of the financial sector and financial services industry. Shares are up 17.1% year to date as of the close of trading on Tuesday.

You can view the full Resource America Inc. CL A Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

-- Written by a member of TheStreet Ratings Staff

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.

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