Another GNP buy

Article Excerpt

UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORP. $71 (New York symbol UTX; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 929.1 million; Market cap: $66.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.2; Dividend yield: 2.4%; WSSF Rating: Above Average) is another example of a “GNP stock” with improving growth prospects. Investors think of United Technologies as a GNP stock because of its diverse operations. It has six divisions: Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines; Otis elevators; Carrier heating and air conditioning equipment; Sikorsky helicopters; Hamilton Sundstrand aircraft controls; and UTC Fire & Security, which provides building-security and fire-protection services. Like GE and 3M, United Technologies laid off workers and closed plants during the recession. It expects these cost cuts to save it $860 million a year by 2012. However, these savings are already starting to push up its earnings. In the three months ended June 30, 2010, it earned $1.1 billion, or $1.20 a share. That’s up 13.7% from $976 million, or $1.05 a share, a year earlier. Without restructuring…