GNP stocks poised for growth

Article Excerpt

Big companies like GE and 3M are examples of “GNP (Gross National Product) stocks”. Because they are already huge and sell to a wide variety of customers, investors feel their earnings growth may only match the growth of the overall economy. However, both GE and 3M successfully restructured their businesses during the recession. The resulting cost cuts should push their earnings higher for years to come. As well, the savings are freeing up cash for dividend increases and share buybacks. GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. $16 (New York symbol GE; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 10.7 billion; Market cap: $171.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.1; Dividend yield: 3.0%; WSSF Rating: Above Average) is one of the world’s largest manufacturers. GE’s main operations include making equipment for generating and distributing electricity, such as turbines (26% of revenue, 38% of earnings); technology, including aircraft engines and medical scanners (25%, 31%); NBC Universal, which operates television networks and film studios (10%, 12%); and home…