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ZBHZimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.Hold6.1·$91.35+1.90%
ZBH · Why this verdict

Why Zimmer Biomet Holdings (ZBH) is rated HOLD

Updated

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

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Methodology · Editorial policy & full disclaimer

VerdictHOLD
Overall score6.1/10
ConfidenceMEDIUM
MacroNEUTRAL
TrendMatrix Research · core thesis

Engine thesis — one sentence

Zimmer Biomet has achieved a perfect 4-for-4 earnings beat streak and a maximum Piotroski F-Score of 9/9, yet trades at a death-cross technical setup with almost no gap to its analyst price target, making the risk-reward unattractive at current levels.

Falsifiable statement — pillar-level invalidators below. Engine-derived; not personalized advice.

Thesis pillars

Zimmer Biomet has beaten earnings estimates in all 4 of the last 4 quarters, with the most recent beat of 12.2% against the $1.86 estimate — demonstrating consistent operational execution in the orthopedic device market.

Improving
Earnings
Expectation
The company beats earnings estimates in at least 3 of the next 4 quarters, maintaining an average positive surprise above 3%.

CounterFour consecutive beats may set a high bar for future quarters; a single miss could reset sentiment sharply, especially given the already-narrow analyst target gap.

The company scores a perfect 9/9 Piotroski F-Score and converts 137% of net income into free cash flow, indicating that cash generation substantially exceeds accounting profit — a durable sign of financial health.

Stable
Quality breakdown
Expectation
Piotroski F-Score remains at 8 or above over the next 12 months, and free cash flow conversion stays above 100% of net income.

CounterA 137% free-cash-flow conversion rate may reflect timing differences or working capital benefits that normalize over time, and the low return on assets of 2.7% signals limited capital efficiency despite strong cash flows.

With the current price at $88.26 and the analyst target at $88.83, the stock has essentially reached consensus fair value, leaving only 0.6% upside and an unfavorable reward-to-risk ratio of 0.11.

Stable
Targets
Expectation
Analyst consensus price target rises above $100, exceeding the current target by more than 12%, providing renewed upside potential.

CounterAt analyst-target parity, the stock offers no margin of safety; any negative development — whether from a supplier disruption or guidance cut — could cause a meaningful decline with limited upside buffer.

The stock is in a confirmed death-cross pattern with the 200-day moving average sloping downward at -2.1% per 30 days and volume distribution indicating institutional selling — even though MACD has recently improved and RSI sits at 64.

Deteriorating
Momentum breakdown
Expectation
The 200-day moving average slope returns to flat or positive within 6 months, and price closes above the 200-day moving average for at least 10 consecutive days.

CounterA death cross with confirmed downward MA slope and falling on-balance volume suggests sustained institutional distribution; the improving MACD may be a short-term bounce within a longer decline.

Per-dimension breakdown

Value

7.3/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
P/E5.6
P/S8.9
EV/EBITDA6.2
Fwd P/E9.3
PEG9.2
Analyst target4.0
  • Forward P/E: 10.0x
  • PEG: 0.63
  • Attractively valued

Quality

6.2/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
ROE2.0
ROA2.7
Gross margin10.0
Op margin7.9
Net margin4.5
Current ratio6.2
FCF quality9.6
Moat6.5
Rule of 403.0
Piotroski F10.0
  • Excellent cash conversion: 137% FCF/NI
  • Rule of 40: 22 (fail)
  • Strong Piotroski F-Score: 9/9

Growth

6.8/10data confidence 67%
ComponentSub-score
Rev growth4.8
EPS growth8.8

Momentum

3.1/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
RSI5.5
MACD0.7
OBV1.2
MA position8.0
Volume0.3
  • Volume distribution (falling OBV)
  • Above 200-MA but MA slope flat

Sentiment

6.4/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
Analyst rating7.5
Price target6.2
erm sentiment5.0

Insider

7.3/10data confidence 75%
ComponentSub-score
materiality5.0
holder change10.0
notable moves7.0
  • Negligible insider selling — $413,216 (0.002% of mkt cap)
  • Institutions accumulating

Peer rank

5.5/10data confidence 80%
ComponentSub-score
value rank6.7
quality rank6.1
growth rank4.5

Technical

4.8/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
bollinger3.5
support resistance3.5
52w position7.0
gap5.0

Risk (lower is worse)

5.5/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
short interest6.0
days to cover5.3
volatility4.4
put call1.8
implied vol6.1
max pain risk3.0
beta10.0
debt equity7.4
  • Elevated put/call: 1.73
  • Above max pain $65
  • Concentration risks: 1 HIGH (10-K Item 1A — sized via position_sizing, validated via buy_confidence)

Catalyst

6.7/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
erm5.0
earnings history10.0
earnings timing5.0
surprise avg5.0
dividend safety8.5
  • Perfect beat streak: 4Q
  • Earnings in 12 days
  • Dividend aristocrat: 1.1% yield

How the verdict was assembled

Engine trigger

Maintain position. Not compelling to add more.

Engine technical detail
verdict_path: L4:PATH_F_HOLD
Passed (4)
  • INSIDER:OK
  • NEWS_EVENTS:NONE_RECENT
  • SEMI_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
  • MATERIALS_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
Failed (3)
  • MOMENTUM:3.1<4.5
  • ASYMMETRY:-0.3=NEGATIVE
  • DEATH_CROSS:HARD_BLOCK
Warning (2)
  • 8K_CSUITE_CHANGE:5.02 (officer departure/appointment)
  • EARNINGS_PROXIMITY:12d<=14d (soft)
Reward-to-Risk
-0.34
Upside
-2.9%
Downside
8.4%
Sizing output
AVOID

SetupRange Bound RSI 53 mid-range, Bollinger mid-band

EdgeCatalyst-Driven Earnings in 12d with 4/4 beat streak

SuitabilityModerate Balanced profile

Investment implication

None of the engine's positive-conviction paths (C-quality, D-momentum) triggered — the F-path HOLD reflects balanced signals. Strongest-cleared gate: INSIDER:OK. Top dim: Value at 7.3; weakest: Momentum at 3.1. No conviction either direction.

The strongest dimensions are Value at 7.3, Insider at 7.3, and Growth at 6.8; the weakest are Momentum at 3.1, Technical at 4.8, and Risk (lower is worse) at 5.5. The V9 engine flagged 3 failed gates with 2 warnings, producing an asymmetric reward-to-risk of -0.34 and an engine sizing output of AVOID.

What would invalidate the thesis

Falsifying conditions — when triggered, the corresponding pillar's thesis is invalidated.

  • P1Perfect Earnings Beat Streak

    Trip ifEPS surprise falls below 0% in at least 2 of the next 4 quarters.

  • P2Maximum Piotroski Quality Score

    Trip ifFree cash flow conversion drops below 80% of net income for 2 consecutive quarters.

  • P3Analyst Target Exhausted

    Trip ifAnalyst consensus price target declines below $80, falling more than 10% below the current $88.83.

  • P4Death Cross Downtrend

    Trip ifPrice drops below $83, declining more than 6% from the current $88.26, while the 200-day MA slope remains below -1% per 30 days.

Engine reasoning is mechanically derived from pipeline gate outputs. See decision view.

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