NVIDIA CORP. $13 - Nasdaq symbol NVDA

NVIDIA CORP. $13 (Nasdaq symbol NVDA; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 616.0 million; Market cap: $8.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.0; No dividends paid; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.nvidia.com) designs chips that make computer games run more smoothly and appear more lifelike.

In its 2012 fiscal year, which ended January 29, 2012, the company’s earnings rose 54.2%, to $734.4 million from $476.4 million in fiscal 2011. Earnings per share rose 46.9%, to $1.19 from $0.81, on more shares outstanding. Nvidia spent 25.1% of its sales on research in fiscal 2012, so it’s more profitable than it appears.

Sales rose 12.8%, to $4.0 billion from $3.5 billion. Nvidia continues to see strong demand for its new Tegra chips from mobile device makers. That’s helping offset slowing sales to computer makers.

Nvidia has little debt and holds cash of $3.1 billion, or $5.11 a share. That gives it lots of flexibility to buy other chipmakers and keep developing new products. The stock trades at 18.8 times the $0.69 a share that the company will probably earn in fiscal 2013.

Nvidia is a buy.

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