Focusing on high-quality stocks pays off

Article Excerpt

Market data and academic studies have established that quality companies perform better than the overall market over long periods. The risk involved in investing in these companies is also lower than the broad market. Defining quality has common threads TSI has developed a 10-point checklist of factors that define high-quality, attractive companies. These include a history of generating profits, paying regular dividends, manageable debt, management integrity, industry prominence, and the freedom to serve all shareholders. MSCI is one of the main providers of indexes that track the performance of high-quality companies. MSCI identifies three characteristics of these companies: A high return on equity: This indicates a business with sustainable competitive advantages, efficient operations, and above-average profitability. Stable earnings growth: This demonstrates the durability and stability of a company’s business model through the economic cycles. Low financial leverage: Companies with low debt have more stability in declining or unstable markets. Fund manager Fidelity selects what it sees as quality companies based on their profitability, balance…