price to sales ratio

MOODY’S CORP. $54 (New York symbol MCO; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 222.9 million; Market cap: $12.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.7; Dividend yield: 1.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.moodys.com) has raised its quarterly dividend by 25.0%, to $0.20 a share from $0.16....
C.R. BARD INC. $102 (New York symbol BCR; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 82.3 million; Market cap: $8.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.8; Dividend yield: 0.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www. crbard.com) sued W.L....
JONES GROUP INC. $12(New York symbol JNY; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 80.0 million; Market cap: $960.0 million; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.3; Dividend yield: 1.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.jonesgroupinc.com) earned $42.9 million in the three months ended September 29, 2012....
GOOGLE INC. $742 (Nasdaq symbol GOOG; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 328.6 million; Market cap: $243.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.6; No dividends paid; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.google.com) is the world’s top Internet search engine, with about two-thirds of this market....
p>GOOGLE INC. $742 (Nasdaq symbol GOOG; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 328.6 million; Market cap: $243.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.6; No dividends paid; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.google.com) is the world’s top Internet search engine, with about two-thirds of this market. The company makes money by selling advertising on its websites. Google gets 96% of its revenue from advertising.

The company also offers a variety of free services such as Gmail (email), YouTube (videos) and Google+ (social networking). These services help draw more users to Google’s websites, which lets the company sell more ads and charge higher ad rates.
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JONES GROUP INC. $12(New York symbol JNY; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 80.0 million; Market cap: $960.0 million; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.3; Dividend yield: 1.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.jonesgroupinc.com) earned $42.9 million in the three months ended September 29, 2012. That’s up 10.0% from $39.0 million a year earlier. Earnings per share rose 18.8%, to $0.57 from $0.48, on fewer shares outstanding. That’s mainly because the company is doing a good job of cutting costs and controlling its inventories.

Sales fell 0.7%, to $1.03 billion from $1.04 billion. Jones gets half of its sales from department stores, which are seeing strong demand for the company’s shoes and jeans. However, sales at Jones’s own stores, which mainly focus on upscale brands, fell sharply as cost-conscious consumers shifted to discount retailers.

Jones Group is a hold.


NVIDIA CORP. $12 (Nasdaq symbol NVDA; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 624.9 million; Market cap: $7.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.8; Dividend yield: 2.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.nvidia.com) has developed a new handheld video game system. Called the Shield, this device features a 5-inch, high-definition touch screen that plays games designed for Google’s Android mobile operating system. Users can also wirelessly stream games from their computers to the Shield.

Nvidia normally designs chips for other manufacturers, so making its own device adds risk. However, the Shield should help it profit from the growth of mobile gaming. As well, developers already make games for Android, so Nvidia can focus solely on hardware. That gives it an advantage over competitors like Sony and Nintendo, which must convince programmers to make games specifically for their systems.

Nvidia is a buy....
AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES INC. $44 (New York symbol A; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 347.9 million; Market cap: $15.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.3; Dividend yield: 1.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www. agilent.com) makes testing systems that help electronics companies improve their products. It also manufactures testing equipment for medical research labs.

Agilent recently raised its quarterly dividend by 20.0%, to $0.12 a share from $0.10. The new annual rate of $0.48 yields 1.1%. As well, the company will buy back up to $500 million of its shares in the fiscal year ending October 31, 2013. That’s equal to 3% of its market cap. These repurchases will reduce the dilution caused by shares it will issue under its employee stock option plan.

Agilent is a buy.
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C.R. BARD INC. $102 (New York symbol BCR; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 82.3 million; Market cap: $8.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.8; Dividend yield: 0.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www. crbard.com) sued W.L. Gore & Associates Inc., the maker of Gore-Tex fabrics, for violating its patents in 2007.

Bard and Gore both make medical stents using a Teflon-like material called ePTFE. Lower courts have previously ruled that Bard held the rights to ePTFE. However, Gore continued to make its products using this substance.

In 2009, an Arizona court ordered Gore to pay Bard $185 million. With interest, royalties and fees, that award is now worth over $900 million, or 11% of Bard’s market cap. The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear Gore’s appeal. That increases the likelihood that Bard will receive at least part of this award.
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MOODY’S CORP. $54 (New York symbol MCO; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 222.9 million; Market cap: $12.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.7; Dividend yield: 1.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.moodys.com) has raised its quarterly dividend by 25.0%, to $0.20 a share from $0.16. The new annual rate of $0.80 yields 1.5%.

New regulations could force Moody’s to change the way it rates bonds and other securities. That could increase the company’s costs. However, the new rules would also apply to its competitors.

Moody’s should earn $3.25 a share in 2013, up from its likely 2012 earnings of $2.99. The stock trades at 16.6 times this year’s estimate.
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