Tennant

TENNANT CORP. $37 (New York symbol TNC; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 18.8 million; Market cap: $695.6 million; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.0; Dividend yield: 1.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.tennantco.com) now gets around 20% of its sales from its environmentally friendly floor scrubbers, which use electricity to make tap water act like a detergent.

Thanks to strong demand for …read more »

APPLE INC. $322 (Nasdaq symbol AAPL; Aggressive
Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 924.8 million; Market cap: $297.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.4; No dividends paid; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.apple.com) has agreed to settle a long-running patent dispute with rival cellphone maker Nokia Corp. (New York symbol NOK). The company did not reveal the details of the settlement. However, it …read more »

These four small industrial companies should continue to benefit as the global economy grows. They are also market leaders, and their shares trade at attractive multiples to earnings. They also kept paying dividends during the recession. However, only two are buys right now.

BRIGGS & STRATTON CORP. $23 (New York symbol BGG; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: …read more »

TENNANT CORP. $41 (New York symbol TNC; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 19.1 million; Market cap: $783.1 million; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.1; Dividend yield: 1.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.tennantco.com) makes industrial floor-cleaning equipment, including scrubbers, sweepers and polishers. It also makes cleaning equipment for garages, stadiums, parking lots and city streets. Tennant’s clients are mainly businesses and …read more »

These four companies dominate their niche markets. That gives them protection from new competitors, and helps them stay profitable during economic downturns. Still, only three are buys right now.

AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES INC. $36 (New York symbol A; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 346.0 million; Market cap: $12.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.3; No dividends paid; TSINetwork Rating: Average; …read more »

Small-cap stocks, generally thought of as those with a market capitalization under $1 billion, have not performed as well as larger companies during the recent market volatility. Over the past year, the Russell 3000 Index, which has median market cap of $807 million, has gained 5.0%, compared to 7.4% for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. That’s because most investors prefer …read more »

WESTERN UNION CO. $18 has raised its dividend by 500%. The new annual rate of $0.24 yields 1.3%. The money-transfer specialist will also buy back $1 billion of its shares over the next three years. That’s equal to 8% of its market cap. Best Buy.

TENNANT CO. $25 has increased its dividend by 7.7%. The new annual rate of $0.56 yields …read more »

TENNANT CO. $29 earned $0.27 a share in the three months ended September 30, 2009. That’s down 52.6% from $0.57 a year earlier. These figures exclude tax-related gains and other unusual items. The cleaning-equipment maker continues to benefit from lower commodity costs. However, sales will likely remain weak until the economy is well on its way to a full recovery. …read more »

STATE STREET CORP. $53 (New York symbol STT; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 494.5 million; Market cap: $26.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.8; WSSF Rating: Extra Risk) set aside $625 million in 2007 to settle lawsuits related to the company’s dealings in illiquid securities backed by subprime mortgages. As of June 30, 2009, only $193 million remained in this …read more »

IDEARC INC. $0.07 (Symbol IAR) now trades on the Pink Sheets over-the-counter market under the symbol IDAR. The New York Stock Exchange delisted Idearc in November 2008 after the stock price fell below the minimum required for continued listing. Sell.

NVIDIA CORP. $8.79 (Nasdaq symbol NVDA) expects that its revenue in its fourth fiscal quarter, ending January 31, 2009, will fall …read more »