Wachovia Corp. $48 - New York symbol WB

WACHOVIA CORP. $48 (New York symbol WB; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 1.9 billion; Market cap: $91.2 billion; WSSF Rating: Average) is cutting its exposure to housing with its recent deal to buy brokerage firm A.G. Edwards Inc. When the purchase closes later this year, it will make Wachovia the second-largest retail brokerage firm in the United States, after Merrill Lynch. Wachovia’s strong history of successfully integrating new operations cuts the risk of using acquisitions to grow. Wachovia should earn $4.93 a share in 2007, and the stock trades at just 9.7 times that estimate. The $2.56 dividend yields 5.3%. Wachovia is a buy.

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