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AIZ (Assurant) Predictability Rank


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What is Assurant 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.


Assurant 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

Assurant Predictability Rank Related Terms

Thank you for viewing the detailed overview of Assurant's Predictability Rank provided by GuruFocus.com. Please click on the following links to see related term pages.


Assurant Business Description

Traded in Other Exchanges
Address
260 Interstate North Circle SE, Atlanta, GA, USA, 30339
Assurant Inc is a protection company that partners with the brands to safeguard and service connected devices, homes and automobiles. It operate in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific through two operating segments: Global Lifestyle and Global Housing. Global Lifestyle: includes mobile device solutions (including extended service contracts, insurance policies and related services), extended service contracts and related services for consumer electronics and appliances, and financial services and other insurance products. Global Housing: includes lender-placed homeowners, manufactured housing and flood insurance, as well as voluntary manufactured housing, condominium and homeowners insurance. Key revenue is generated from Global Lifestyle segment.
Executives
Dimitry Dirienzo officer: SVP, CAO, Controller C/O ASSURANT, INC., 28 LIBERTY ST. 41 F., NEW YORK NY 10005
Jay Rosenblum officer: EVP and CLO C/O ASSURANT, INC., 28 LIBERTY ST, 41ST FL., NEW YORK NY 10005
Michael P. Campbell officer: EVP C/O ASSURANT, INC.,28 LIBERTY STREET, 41ST FLOOR, NEW YORK NY 10005
Francesca Luthi officer: EVP, CAO 1180 NORTH TOWN CENTER DRIVE, SUITE 100, LAS VEGAS NV 89144
Robert Lonergan officer: EVP, other: Chief Strategy Officer C/O ASSURANT, INC.,28 LIBERTY STREET, 41ST FLOOR, NEW YORK NY 10005
Richard S Dziadzio officer: EVP, CFO, and Treasurer C/O ALLIANCE CAPITAL, 1345 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK NY 10105
Rajiv Basu director C/O ASSURANT, INC., 260 INTERSTATE NORTH CIRCLE, S.E., ATLANTA GA 30339
Sari Beth Granat director C/O MARKIT LTD, 4TH FL, ROPEMAKER PLACE, 25 ROPEMAKER STREET, LONDON X0 EC2Y 9LY
Keith Meier officer: EVP, COO C/O ASSURANT, INC., 55 BROADWAY, SUITE 2901, NEW YORK NY 10006
Alan B. Colberg officer: EVP, Marketing & Bus. Dev. ASSURANT, INC., ONE CHASE MANHATTAN PLAZA, 41 FL., NEW YORK NY 10005
Gene Mergelmeyer officer: Executive Vice President, other: Pres., Assur. Spec. Property ASSURANT, INC., 28 LIBERTY ST. 41 FLOOR, NEW YORK NY 10005
Carter J Braxton Ii director C/O T-MOBILE US, INC., 12920 SE 38TH STREET, BELLEVUE WA 98006
Charles John Koch director CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC., 600 WASHINGTON BLVD., CS119N, STAMFORD CT 06901
Tammy L. Schultz officer: EVP C/O ASSURANT, INC.,28 LIBERTY STREET, 41ST FLOOR, NEW YORK NY 10005
Paget Leonard Alves director SPRINT NEXTEL, 6200 SPRINT PARKWAY KSOPHF0410 - 4A403, OVERLAND PARK KS 66251