stanley

NEWELL RUBBERMAID INC. $25 (New York symbol NWL; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 288.0 million; Market cap: $7.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.2; Dividend yield: 2.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.newellrubbermaid.com), like Stanley (see left), is a good example of an out-of-the-limelight stock with long-term appeal.

Also like Stanley, Newell is selling its less profitable operations and focusing on products with greater growth potential, such as pens and tools for industrial users.

For example, it recently agreed to sell some of its hardware businesses, which make a variety of hooks, hinges, door knobs and paint brushes....

NEWELL RUBBERMAID INC. $25 (New York symbol NWL; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 288.0 million; Market cap: $7.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.2; Dividend yield: 2.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.newellrubbermaid.com), like Stanley (see left), is a good example of an out-of-the-limelight stock with long-term appeal.

Also like Stanley, Newell is selling its less profitable operations and focusing on products with greater growth potential, such as pens and tools for industrial users.

For example, it recently agreed to sell some of its hardware businesses, which make a variety of hooks, hinges, door knobs and paint brushes. Newell will receive $175 million after taxes when the sale closes in the new few weeks.
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STANLEY BLACK & DECKER INC. $85 (New York symbol SWK; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 160.1 million; Market cap: $13.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.3; Dividend yield: 2.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.stanleyblackanddecker.com) began operating in 1843 and is now one of the world’s largest makers of hand and power tools for consumers. Its top-selling brands include Stanley, Black & Decker, FatMax and Powerlock. In 2012, this business supplied 51% of Stanley’s sales and 50% of its earnings.

The company also makes specialized tools for industrial users, such as auto mechanics and construction firms. This division accounts for 25% of Stanley’s sales and 29% of its earnings.

The remaining 24% of the company’s sales and 21% of its earnings come from making building-security products, such as locks, automatic doors and gates. It also monitors properties for its clients, typically by closed-circuit audio and TV systems.
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Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are set up to mirror the performance of a stock-market index or subindex. They hold a more-or-less fixed selection of securities that represent the holdings that go into the calculation of the index or sub-index.

ETFs trade on stock exchanges, just like stocks....

CGI GROUP INC. $31 (Toronto symbol GIB.A; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 309.3 million; Market cap: $9.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.5; No dividends paid; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; www.cgi.com) is Canada’s largest provider of computer outsourcing services. CGI helps its clients automate routine functions, like accounting and buying supplies. That makes them more efficient and lets them focus on their main businesses.

CGI continues to profit from its August 2012 acquisition of Logica plc, a U.K.-based firm that provides computer-outsourcing services in 36 countries.

Thanks to this $2.7-billion purchase, CGI’s earnings rose 66.3% in its 2013 second quarter, which ended March 31, 2013, to $175.9 million from $105.7 million a year earlier. Due to more shares outstanding, earnings per share rose at a slower rate of 40.0%, to $0.56 from $0.40. These figures exclude unusual items, such as costs to integrate Logica.
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CGI GROUP INC. (Toronto symbol GIB.A; www.cgi.com) is Canada’s largest provider of computer outsourcing services. CGI helps its clients automate routine functions, like accounting and buying supplies. That makes them more efficient and lets them focus on their main businesses. CGI is a long-term recommendation of our Successful Investor newsletter. We made it our #1 Canadian stock of the year in 2010 at $15. The stock has risen 107% for our subscribers since then. We also made it our stock of the year in 2011. The stock is up 73% since then....

CGI GROUP INC. $31 (Toronto symbol GIB.A; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 309.3 million; Market cap: $9.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.5; No dividends paid; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; www.cgi.com) is Canada’s largest provider of computer outsourcing services....

TRANSCANADA CORP., $45.59, Toronto symbol TRP, has completed the purchase of a solar power facility in Brockville, Ontario, from Canadian Solar (Nasdaq symbol CSIQ). This is the first part of TransCanada’s agreement to buy nine Ontario solar power stations from Canadian Solar. The company expects to take possession of the remaining eight facilities by the end of 2014. In all, TransCanada will pay $470 million. That’s equal to 1.3 times the $370 million, or $0.52 a share, that the company earned in the three months ended March 31, 2013....

ISHARES MSCI JAPAN INDEX FUND $10.60 (New York Exchange symbol EWJ; buy or sell through brokers; us.ishares.com) is an exchange traded fund that tries to match the return of the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Japan index.

The ETF’s top holdings include Toyota, 6.6%; Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, 3.0%; Honda Motor, 2.5%; Sumitomo Mitsui Financial, 2.1%; Softbank Corp., 1.9%; Mizuho Financial Group, 1.8%; Canon, 1.6%; Japan Tobacco, 1.5%; Takeda Pharmaceutical, 1.4%; and Hitachi, 1.3%.

The fund’s industry breakdown is as follows: Consumer Discretionary, 21.8%; Financials, 20.1%; Industrials, 18.9%; Information Technology, 10.7%; Consumer Staples, 6.5%; Health Care, 6.2%; Materials, 6.2%; Telecommunication Services, 4.7%; Utilities, 3.1%; and Energy, 1.3%.
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STANLEY BLACK & DECKER INC. $77 (New York symbol SWK; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 161.9 million; Market cap: $12.5 billion; Priceto- sales ratio: 1.2; Dividend yield: 2.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.stanleyblackanddecker.com) earned $163.1 million in the first quarter of 2013, down 1.3% from $165.2 million a year earlier.

Due to fewer shares outstanding, earnings per share rose 5.1% to $1.03....