Recent moves help cut their cyclical risk

Article Excerpt

Canon and Xerox dominate the office copier and printer market. But both are lowering their exposure to this cyclical business: Canon has expanded into consumer products, such as cameras, while Xerox is focusing on selling supplies and services, which are more profitable than equipment sales. CANON INC. ADRs $41 (New York symbol CAJ; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; ADRs outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $49.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.2; Dividend yield: 2.5%; WSSF Rating: Above Average) makes copiers and printers (58% of revenue), cameras (28%), and optical products, such as chips for specialty lenses for TV sets and medical equipment (14%). The company gets 80% of its revenue from outside Japan. In the three months ended June 30, 2010, Canon earned $768.6 million, or $0.62 per ADR (each American Depositary Receipt represents one Canon common share). That’s big jump from the $162.6 million, or $0.13 per ADR, it earned a year earlier. Sales rose 33.4%, to $11.0 billion from $8.3 billion,…