As the economy swan dives, investment analysis must shift its focus. In boom times, earnings and earnings growth are foremost. Nowadays, you and your clients should focus on corporate strength and stamina.

The basic question now is whether a company has the financial strength to survive. This means a strong balance sheet with plenty of equity and little or no debt. It means that the firm has the capability to generate enough cash to maintain reinvestment, yet have something left over. It also means having cash on hand.

Additionally, steady or increasing sales is a positive factor. But, at the moment, underlying financial strength is more important. The accompanying table focuses on cash flow in the most recent quarter — for most companies, the last three months of 2008.

You will find two figures for cash flow: the basic reported figure for cash provided from operations and discretionary cash flow, or the amount remaining after capital spending and common dividends — if any.

The table also has a balance-sheet snapshot at the end of the period, including cash and equivalents.

The companies analyzed are a random sample taken from U.S. and Canadian firms that recently issued their latest corporate quarterly reports.

The added feature is tangible shareholders’ equity, or tangible book value. This strips out intangibles and goodwill, leaving only hard assets that a company can use as collateral for a loan. The figure is side-by-side with the recent stock price, for easy comparison.

The changes from 12 months prior indicate trends. A company whose cash flow, cash and book value are increasing is shouldering through an adverse current.

Cash flow is a more significant figure than net income these days. Many companies are charging off items that cut their reported earnings. Cash flow reveals the true picture of how operations are performing.

Consider what Gerald Loeb had to say about this in his book The Battle for Investment Survival: “Cash flow, which is the professional term for in-pocket, out-of-pocket bookkeeping, is the most revealing way of looking at things.”

Manulife Financial Corp.’ s latest report, for example, shows a net loss, caused by a big increase in actuarial charges. In fact, Manulife’s operations continued to be quite profitable, as shown by its cash-flow statement. The actuarial charges leave their imprint in the long term by cutting shareholders’ equity.

The ratio of tangible equity to tangible assets (total assets less goodwill and intangible items on the balance sheet) is significant as a basic indication of financial strength.

Note the strength indicated for Canadian Tire Corp. by its 45% ratio of equity to assets, unchanged from the corresponding quarter a year ago. Then, note the weakness in Tyco International Ltd.’s equity/assets ratio. However, the U.S. conglomerate, whose main asset is ADT Security Services Inc., has seen the ratio improve by five percentage points.

There is one variation in the equity/assets data: Manulife’s equity/assets ratio is shown to a single decimal place because financial institutions’ equity/assets ratios are typically quite low, a measure of their normal high leverage.

The final quarter of 2008 is significant because it was the first in which the shock of the abrupt slowdown in the world economy is reflected. Even more revealing will be the result of the current first quarter of 2009.

But until then, the fourth-quarter numbers provide the first indication of how companies are faring in the economy’s newly devastated landscape. IE