GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER $31.26 - Nasdaq symbol GT

GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER $31.26 (Nasdaq symbol GT; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (330- 796-2122; www.goodyear.com; Shares outstanding: 269.8 million; Market cap: $8.4 billion; Dividend yield: 0.8%) is the world’s largest tire maker, with 52 plants in 22 countries.

In the quarter ended March 31, 2015, Goodyear’s sales fell 10.0%, to $4.02 billion from $4.47 billion a year earlier. The rising U.S. dollar lowered the value of the company’s foreign sales.

Excluding one-time items, earnings per share fell 3.6%, to $0.54 from $0.56, but that was much better than the consensus estimate of $0.44. Record North American earnings let Goodyear offset the effects of the higher U.S. dollar.

The company has reaffirmed its 2015 targets and expects its earnings to rise 10% to 15%. Goodyear’s costs—including for oil, rubber and other raw materials— keep falling, and it now has a favourable labour deal with the United Steelworkers.

The stock was our #1 buy for 2014 at $24.42. It dipped as low as $18.87 in October 2014 but has since rebounded strongly to today’s five-year high—a gain of 28%.

Goodyear Tire is still a buy.

A professional investment analyst for more than 30 years, Pat has developed a stock-selection technique that has proven reliable in both bull and bear markets. His proprietary ValuVesting System™ focuses on stocks that provide exceptional quality at relatively low prices. Many savvy investors and industry leaders consider it the most powerful stock-picking method ever created.