price to sales ratio

NVIDIA CORP. $14 (Nasdaq symbol NVDA; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 577.9 million; Market cap: $8.1 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.0; Dividend yield: 2.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.nvidia .com) continues to benefit from strong demand for its new graphic chips, which make computer games run more smoothly.

In the quarter ended April 28, 2013, Nvidia’s sales rose 3.2%, to $954.7 million from $924.9 million a year earlier....

The new U.S. health care law will force Baxter and C.R. Bard to pay a 2.3% tax on certain medical devices it sells in the country. However, the law will also expand health insurance to more Americans, which should spur demand for both companies’ products. Both are also increasing their overseas sales.

BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC....

CANON INC. ADRs $36 (New York symbol CAJ; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; ADRs outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $43.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.4; Dividend yield: 4.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www....

Global demand for more and better food continues to rise, and developing regions are making better use of their farmland. We feel the best way to profit from these trends is with well-established agricultural leaders like Monsanto and Archer Daniels Midland.

MONSANTO CO....

BHP BILLITON LTD. ADRs $66 (New York symbol BHP; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; ADRs outstanding: 2.7 billion; Market cap: $178.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.5; Dividend yield: 3.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.bhpbilliton.com) plans to spend $18 billion developing new mines in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014, down 18.2% from $22 billion in fiscal 2013....

GANNETT CO. INC. $22 (New York symbol GCI; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 229.6 million; Market cap: $5.1 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.9; Dividend yield: 3.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.gannett.com) earned $86.0 million in the first quarter of 2013....

CEDAR FAIR L.P. $43 (New York symbol FUN; Income Portfolio, Consumer sector; Units outstanding: 55.6 million; Market cap: $2.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.2; Dividend yield: 5.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.cedarfair.com) lost $1.95 a share in the first quarter of 2013, compared to a loss of $1.18 a year earlier....

SYMANTEC CORP. $23 (Nasdaq symbol SYMC; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 696.6 million; Market cap: $16.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.3; Dividend yield: 2.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.symantec.com) makes software that protects computers from viruses and intruders, including the popular Norton anti-virus program....

MOLSON COORS CANADA INC. (Toronto symbols TPX.A $49 and TPX.B $49; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 181.7 million; Market cap: $8.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.4; Dividend yield: 2.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.molsoncoors.com) is one of the world’s leading brewers. Its main brands include Coors Light, Molson Canadian and Carling.

The company’s sales fell 36.5%, from $4.8 billion in 2008 to $3.0 billion in 2009 (all amounts except share prices and market cap in U.S. dollars). That’s because it merged its U.S. brewing operations with those of rival SABMiller to form MillerCoors. Each company has a 50% voting interest in this joint venture, but Miller gets 58% of the profits while Molson Coors gets 42%. Because it owns less than half of MillerCoors, accounting rules forced Molson Coors to stop including the sales from this business in its overall sales.


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METRO INC. $70 (Toronto symbol MRU; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 95.2 million; Market cap: $6.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.6; Dividend yield: 1.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.metro.ca) earned $100.5 million in the 12 weeks ended March 16, 2013. This figure excludes a $266.4-million gain on the sale of about half its stake in Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. (Toronto symbol ATD.B), which operates convenience stores in North America and Norway. The latest earnings are also up 4.4% from $96.3 million a year earlier. Metro used the sale proceeds to buy back shares. As a result, earnings per share rose 8.5%, to $1.02 from $0.94.

Sales fell 2.6%, to $2.5 billion from $2.6 billion, as the company closed some unprofitable supermarkets in Ontario. As well, the year-earlier quarter, which began on December 18, 2011, included the busy week before Christmas. Same-store sales were flat.

Metro is a buy....