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Southwest Gas Holdings (Southwest Gas Holdings) Predictability Rank


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What is Southwest Gas Holdings Predictability Rank?

1 (5)

Warren Buffett said many times that the companies he likes are:

1. Simple businesses that he understands
2. that have predictable and proven earnings and
3. with economic moat
4. those can be bought at a reasonable price.

It is hard to quantify "simple businesses that he (Buffett) understands", so we will focus on the other three characteristics instead. In GuruFocus Research: What worked in the market from 1998-2008? Part I: Introduction of Predictability Rank, we will show that the businesses that have predictable and proven earnings are usually also simple businesses that an average person could understand.

GuruFocus conducted a back test study of Warren Buffett's strategy of "buying good companies at fair prices" for the years from 1998-2008.


Southwest Gas Holdings Predictability Rank Calculation

In our database there are 2403 stocks that have been traded from Jan. 2, 1998 to Aug. 31, 2008. We have the complete 10-year financial data and trading prices of these companies for this period. We rank the predictability of these companies based on the consistency of their revenue per share and EBITDA (earning before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) per share over the past ten fiscal years, and study the correlation between the stock performances and the predictability of the business.

Our study may be subject to these biases and assumptions:

Dividend yields are not counted for investment returns
Effects of price changes due to spin-offs may not be fully adjusted
Study is subjected to survivorship bias due to de-listing, bankruptcy, LBO, M&A, etc.

The correlation between business predictability and investment returns of a company is showed below.

Correlation Between Business Predictability and Investment Returns

PredictablesNon-PredictableAll stocks
Total Number of stocks57018332403
Total Lost Money61830891
Total Lost More Than 50%18412430
Total Lost More Than 90%48690
Average Gain260.6%100.0%138.1%
Median Gain150.0%13.0%39.0%
Maximum Gain2852.0%11483.0%11483.0%
Maximum Loss-100.0%-100.0%-100.0%
Annualized Average Gain12.7%6.7%8.4%
Annualized Median Gain8.9%1.1%3.1%


















For the 570 predictable companies, we have seen strong correlation between the predictability of businesses and the stock performances over the past 10 years, regardless of the valuation of business at 1998. Accordingly, we have ranked the business predictability from 5-star to 1-star, as shown in this table.

Predictability Rank5-Star4.5-Star4-Star3.5-Star3-Star2.5-Star2-Star1-Star (non-predictable)Average among all
% Out of All 2403 Stocks 3.3% 2.9% 3.7% 3.3% 3.3% 3.7% 3.3% 76.3% 100%
% that are in Loss (10y) 3% 10% 8% 9% 11% 18% 16% 45% 37%
Average Gain (10y) 364.6% 330.9% 278.0% 235.1% 243.5% 227.8% 154.8% 100.0% 138.1%
Median Gain (10y) 238.5% 193.5% 171.0% 159.0% 132.5% 113.5% 87.0% 13.0% 39.0%
Maximum Gainer 2228.0% 2547.0% 2452.0% 2852.0% 2432.0% 1892.0% 1807.0% 11483.0% 11483.0%
Maximum Loser -82.0% -53.0% -67.0% -100.0% -83.0% -100.0% -78.0% -100.0% -100.0%
Annualized Average Gain 15.4% 14.6% 13.2% 12.0% 12.2% 11.7% 9.1% 6.7% 8.4%
Annualized Median Gain 12.1% 10.6% 9.8% 9.3% 8.2% 7.3% 6.0% 1.1% 3.1%
















For detailed information about each predictability rank, please go to GuruFocus Research: What worked in the market from 1998-2008? Part I: Introduction of Predictability Rank

Also read:

Part II: What worked in the market from 1998-2008? Part II: Role of Valuations
Part III: Intrinsic Value, Discounted Cash Flow and Margin of Safety

Southwest Gas Holdings Predictability Rank Related Terms

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Southwest Gas Holdings (Southwest Gas Holdings) Business Description

Traded in Other Exchanges
Address
8360 South Durango Drive, Post Office Box 98510, Las Vegas, NV, USA, 89193-8510
Southwest Gas Holdings Inc is a utility company primarily engaged in the purchasing, distributing, and transporting of natural gas in the American Southwest. The company segments its activities into natural gas operations and Utility Infrastructure Services units. The first of these encompasses the company's core natural gas business as one of the largest distributors in the states of Arizona and Nevada. The natural gas operations division is responsible for roughly half of Southwest Gas' total revenue through the sale of natural gas to mainly residential and small commercial customers. The Utility Infrastructure Services segment generates the other half of the company's total revenue from the underground piping contractor services that its subsidiary, Centuri Construction Group, provides.
Executives
Paul M Daily officer: Executive Officer C/O SOUTHWEST GAS HOLDINGS, INC., 5241 SPRING MOUNTAIN ROAD, LAS VEGAS NV 89150
Carl C Icahn 10 percent owner C/O ICAHN ENTERPRISES L.P., 16690 COLLINS AVE., PH-1, SUNNY ISLES BEACH FL 33160
Robert J Stefani officer: SVP/Chief Financial Officer 8360 S. DURANGO DRIVE, LAS VEGAS NV 89113
Icahn Partners Lp 10 percent owner 16690 COLLINS AVE., PH, SUNNY ISLES FL 33160
Icahn Partners Master Fund Lp 10 percent owner 16690 COLLINS AVE., PH, SUNNY ISLES FL 33160
Randall P. Gabe officer: SVP/Chief Administrative OFC 8360 S. DURANGO DRIVE, LAS VEGAS NV 89113
Amy L. Timperley officer: SVP/Chief Reg. & Fin. Planning 8360 S. DURANGO DRIVE, LAS VEGAS NV 89113
Ruby Sharma director 24 ARNOLD DRIVE, PRINCETON JCT. NJ 08550
Jose A Cardenas director 8360 S. DURANGO DR., LAS VEGAS NV 89113
Boyd S. Nelson officer: VP/Strategy & Inv Relations 8360 S. DURANGO DR., LAS VEGAS NV 89113
Thomas E. Moran officer: VP/General Counsel/Corp. Sec SOUTHWEST GAS HOLDINGS, INC., 8360 SOUTH DURANGO DRIVE, LAS VEGAS NV 89113
Julie M. Williams officer: SVP/Chief Operations Officer 8360 S. DURANGO DR., LAS VEGAS NV 89113
Lori L Colvin officer: VP/Controller/CAO 8360 S. DURANGO DR., LAS VEGAS NV 89113
Eric Debonis officer: SVP/Operations 8360 S. DURANGO DR., LAS VEGAS NV 89113
Andrew Teno director C/O FIR TREE INC., 55 WEST 46TH STREET, 29TH FLOOR, NEW YORK NY 10036