ABB stands to gain from long-term trends

Article Excerpt

ABB LTD. ADRs $18 (New York symbol ABB; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; ADRs outstanding: 2.3 billion; Market cap: $41.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.2; Dividend yield: 3.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.abb.com) is a leading maker of power technologies for utilities. The Switzerland-based company’s products include transformers, transmission systems and circuit breakers. ABB also makes automation systems and robotics. Clients in a wide range of industries use these systems to make their facilities more productive. ABB is taking advantage of the slow economy to make acquisitions. In January 2011, it paid $4.3 billion for Arkansas-based Baldor Electric Co., which makes electric motors and related products, such as conveyor belts, fans and pumps. Adding Baldor helped strengthen ABB’s North American operations. There is still plenty of room to grow in this region: right now, the Americas account for just 23% of ABB’s business. In the three months ended June 30, 2011, ABB’s revenue rose 27.8%, to $9.7 billion from $7.6 billion…