For those thinking that Coca-Cola and / or PepsiCo need to get with times and start building in the healthy foods market, WhiteWave Foods may be one of the better plays for an acquisition.  WhiteWave produces items such as Silk soy, almond and other plant based milks as well as Horizon Organic Yogurts and Earthbound Farm Organic lettuce.  This could be one of the very few food sectors with large growth potential.

Horowitz & Company’s proprietary Fundamental Scoring System (F|score) takes into consideration many factors related to each company’s financial history and outlook. This system is oriented toward a growth model and therefore will give a higher score to those companies which continually show increasing earnings per share and revenue over time. Over the long-run (and when looking to purchase a security) we prefer companies with a track record of growth and solid fundamentals. In the short-term however, it is price / technicals that pay. When investing, we combine both of these analyses to seek out possible investment opportunities within our universe of stocks.

We find that EPS Growth on a Quarter over Quarter basis is one of the strongest components when screening for growth stocks. Continued EPS Growth in a company generally shows strength in leadership, the ability to manage expenses and improve the bottom line. Over the last three quarters, this company has done well producing EPS Growth Rates last quarter, 2 quarters ago and 3 quarters ago 4.70%, 35.97%, 40.00% respectively.

Revenue Growth similar to EPS Growth is also a strong component to consider when screening and scoring for growth companies. Continued growth in revenue shows that the company is innovative, marketable and its products remain relevant in the marketplace. Over the last three quarters, this company has done well producing revenue growth rates last quarter, 2 quarters ago and 3 quarters ago 36.03%, 36.50%, 11.71% respectively.

Last quarter this company reported Earnings per Share 5.5% better than analysts had expected. We believe this surprise, although only for one quarter, could set a trend for future earnings reports and guidance.

Price relative to earnings growth is commonly referred to as the PEG Ratio. This company’s price is further inflated than what we would like to see when compared against growth as its PEG Ratio is 1.77. We generally would like to see the PEG ratio under 1.5 and it is even better if it is under 1.0.

Horowitz & Company’s proprietary Technical Scoring System (T|score) takes into consideration both individual security technicals as well as the overall market direction when considering whether or not to purchase a company. H&C’s Market Trend Indicator (MTI) is a measure which is designed to evaluate the overall trend in the market. There are four designated levels to assess the trend which include: Strong Downtrend, Downtrend, Rally and Strong Rally. We are currently in an environment where the MTI is in a Strong Rally. All of our indicators are showing that the markets are in a strong rally and risk is back on. Investors of all risk tolerances may consider moving to a higher level of equities while still looking to pick up companies with increased levels of technicals. With that said, this stock ranks in the highest percentile of stocks from an individual security technical score. H&C would consider purchasing a small portion of this position even during a Strong Downtrend. This position would be a definite purchase if the market were to be in Downtrend or any kind of Rally.

Below are some of the key technical areas where WhiteWave Foods Co/The (WWAV) excelled or detracted from the value of the T|score:

Stochastics are currently showing some bullish attributes which may mean this stock has some room to run in the short run.

Over the past two weeks, WhiteWave Foods Co/The (WWAV) has crossed above its 50 day moving average. We see this as a bullish sign as the momentum is starting to change.

In terms of price and volume especially over a short period of time it is important to see if there is any weight behind either a rally or correction. This company has shown to have good price action in terms of volume and therefore has a greater chance to move higher if the overall market and economy are to continue to trend higher. Higher volume with positive price action also will provide support levels for this position if it were to move back to those levels.

On a 12-month rolling period, this company has performed very well when comparing against its peers and equities in the S&P 1500. This is a positive sign for this company as it shows strength relative to the overall market.

H&C currently sees WhiteWave Foods Co/The (WWAV) in a Short Term Uptrend and Long Term Uptrend.