Here’s our Pick of the Month

Article Excerpt

SIERRA WIRELESS $25.20 (Toronto symbol SW; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (604-231-1100; www.sierrawireless.com; Shares outstanding: 36.0 million; Market cap: $915.0 million; No dividends paid) makes digital components that connect products, including smart electricity meters, automobiles, fleet and transit vehicles, and home security systems, to the Internet. That machine-to-machine networking is commonly known as the “Internet of Things.” In the quarter ended June 30, 2018, Sierra made sales of $201.9 million. That’s a 16.4% jump from $173.4 million a year earlier (all figures except share price in U.S. dollars). Excluding one-time items, the company earned $9.7 million, or $0.27 a share. That was down slightly from $9.8 million, or $0.30, a year earlier. However, it beat the consensus estimate of $0.21 by a wide margin. To remain competitive, Sierra spends a high 12% of its revenue on research and development. The company also buys firms with technology and products that it can use for its existing business. Most recently, it acquired Numerex Corporation (symbol NMRX on Nasdaq) for…