Profitability is a key measure of business strength. Companies with high margins have proven they can generate consistent earnings while maintaining financial discipline.
Even among profitable businesses, only a select few truly maximize their potential - and StockStory is here to help you find them. That said, here are three profitable companies that generate reliable profits without sacrificing growth.
MercadoLibre (MELI)
Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 8.3%
Originally started as an online auction platform, MercadoLibre (NASDAQ: MELI) is a one-stop e-commerce marketplace and fintech platform in Latin America.
Why Is MELI a Good Business?
- Customer spending is rising as the company has focused on monetization over the last two years, leading to 63.1% annual growth in its average revenue per user
- Earnings per share have massively outperformed its peers over the last three years, increasing by 35% annually
- MELI is a free cash flow machine with the flexibility to invest in growth initiatives or return capital to shareholders, and its recently improved profitability means it has even more resources to invest or distribute
MercadoLibre is trading at $1,721 per share, or 18.1x forward EV/EBITDA. Is now the right time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.
Burlington (BURL)
Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 8.1%
Founded in 1972 as a discount coat and outerwear retailer, Burlington Stores (NYSE: BURL) is now an off-price retailer that has broadened into general apparel, footwear, and home goods.
Why Are We Fans of BURL?
- Fast expansion of new stores to reach markets with few or no locations is justified by its same-store sales growth
- Locations open for at least a year are seeing increased demand as same-store sales have averaged 3.1% growth over the past two years
- Free cash flow margin expanded by 6.1 percentage points over the last year, providing additional flexibility for investments and share buybacks/dividends
At $267.02 per share, Burlington trades at 21.1x forward P/E. Is now a good time to buy? See for yourself in our full research report, it’s free.
ANI Pharmaceuticals (ANIP)
Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 15.4%
With a diverse portfolio of 116 pharmaceutical products and a growing rare disease platform, ANI Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ANIP) develops, manufactures, and markets branded and generic prescription pharmaceuticals, with a focus on rare disease treatments.
Why Do We Like ANIP?
- Impressive 34.7% annual revenue growth over the last two years indicates it’s winning market share this cycle
- Earnings per share grew by 19.9% annually over the last five years and trumped its peers
- Free cash flow margin increased by 38.5 percentage points over the last five years, giving the company more capital to invest or return to shareholders
ANI Pharmaceuticals’s stock price of $75.26 implies a valuation ratio of 7.9x forward P/E. Is now the right time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.
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