NovAtel $37.07 – Nasdaq symbol NGPS

Article Excerpt

NOVATEL $37.07 (Nasdaq symbol NGPS; SI Rating: Speculative) (403-295-4500; www.novatel.com; Shares outstanding: 8.6 million; Market cap: $317.5 million) makes GPS products, such as receivers and antennas, for customers to use in products they make for the aviation, surveying, mapping, mining, agriculture, marine and defense markets. NovAtel’s compact products provide sub-centimetre-level accuracy. They also work under adverse outdoor conditions. NovAtel’s sales rose 10.8% in the three months ended March 31, 2007, to $17.5 million from $15.8 million. Earnings per share rose 6%, to $0.53 from $0.50. The company holds cash of $46.8 million or $5.46 a share, and has no debt. NovAtel spends 19% of sales on research. The improved results came mostly from 46% revenue growth in sales of a GPS product for surveyors developed by Point Inc., NovAtel’s joint venture with Sokkia Co. Growth in the quarter also came from higher sales to the precision agriculture market and greater shipments of product to Asia. The European Space Agency recently granted NovAtel a..