This module uses fundamental data of LegalZoom to approximate the value of its Beneish M Score. LegalZoom M Score tells investors if the company management is likely to be manipulating earnings. The score is calculated using eight financial indicators that are adjusted by a specific multiplier. Please note, the M Score is a probabilistic model and cannot detect companies that manipulate their earnings with 100% accuracy. Check out LegalZoom Piotroski F Score and LegalZoom Altman Z Score analysis.
At this time, it appears that LegalZoom is an unlikely manipulator. The earnings manipulation may begin if LegalZoom's top management creates an artificial sense of financial success, forcing the stock price to be traded at a high price-earnings multiple than it should be. In general, excessive earnings management by LegalZoom executives may lead to removing some of the operating profits from subsequent periods to inflate earnings in the following periods. This way, the manipulation of LegalZoom's earnings can lead to misrepresentations of actual financial condition, taking the otherwise loyal stakeholders on to the path of questionable ethical practices and plain fraud.
The cure to earnings manipulation is the transparency of financial reporting. It will typically remove the temptation of the top executives to inflate earnings (i.e., to promote the idea of 'winning at any cost'). Because a healthy internal audit department can enhance transparency, the board should promote the auditors' access to all the record-keeping systems across the enterprise. For example, if LegalZoom's auditors report directly to the board (not management), the managers will be reluctant to manipulate simply due to the fear of punishment. On the other hand, the auditors will be free to investigate the ledgers properly because they know that the board has their back.
One of the toughest challenges investors face today is learning how to quickly synthesize historical financial statements and information provided by the company, SEC reporting, and various external parties in order to detect the potential manipulation of earnings. Understanding the correlation between LegalZoom's different financial indicators related to revenue, expenses, operating profit, and net earnings helps investors identify and prioritize their investing strategies towards LegalZoom in a much-optimized way. Analyzing correlations between earnings drivers directly associated with dollar figures is the most effective way to find LegalZoom's degree of accounting gimmicks and manipulations.
M-Score is one of many grading techniques for value stocks. It was developed by Professor M. Daniel Beneish of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and published in 1999 under the paper titled The Detection of Earnings Manipulation. The Beneish score is a multi-factor model that utilizes financial identifiers to compile eight variables used to classify whether a company has manipulated its reported earnings. The variables are built from the officially filed financial statements to create a final score call 'M Score.' The score helps to identify companies that are likely to manipulate their profits if they show deteriorating gross margins, operating expenses, and leverage against growing revenue.
Some studies have found that companies with high sustainability scores are getting higher valuations than competitors with lower social-engagement activities. While most ESG disclosures are voluntary and do not directly affect the long term financial condition, LegalZoom's sustainability indicators can be used to identify proper investment strategies using environmental, social, and governance scores that are crucial to LegalZoom's managers, analysts, and investors.
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About LegalZoom Fundamental Analysis
The Macroaxis Fundamental Analysis modules help investors analyze LegalZoom's financials across various querterly and yearly statements, indicators and fundamental ratios. We help investors to determine the real value of LegalZoom using virtually all public information available. We use both quantitative as well as qualitative analysis to arrive at the intrinsic value of LegalZoom based on its fundamental data. In general, a quantitative approach, as applied to this company, focuses on analyzing financial statements comparatively, whereas a qaualitative method uses data that is important to a company's growth but cannot be measured and presented in a numerical way.
Analyzing currently trending equities could be an opportunity to develop a better portfolio based on different market momentums that they can trigger. Utilizing the top trending stocks is also useful when creating a market-neutral strategy or pair trading technique involving a short or a long position in a currently trending equity.
When running LegalZoom's price analysis, check to measure LegalZoom's market volatility, profitability, liquidity, solvency, efficiency, growth potential, financial leverage, and other vital indicators. We have many different tools that can be utilized to determine how healthy LegalZoom is operating at the current time. Most of LegalZoom's value examination focuses on studying past and present price action to predict the probability of LegalZoom's future price movements. You can analyze the entity against its peers and the financial market as a whole to determine factors that move LegalZoom's price. Additionally, you may evaluate how the addition of LegalZoom to your portfolios can decrease your overall portfolio volatility.