Topic: Growth Stocks

Stock Pickers Digest Hotline – Friday, May 20, 2011

Article Excerpt

RUSSEL METALS, $24.55, symbol RUS on Toronto, earned $33 million, or $0.55 a share, in the three months ended March 31, 2011. That’s up sharply from $9.1 million, or $0.15 a share, a year earlier. Revenue rose 24.8% to $657.7 million from $526.8 million. The company benefited from higher sales volumes and metals prices, and improved profit margins. Russel saw revenue gains from all three of its divisions: The steel distribution division’s revenue rose 40%, due to higher flat-rolled steel prices. Metal services revenue rose 30% on higher sales volumes and steel prices. The energy tubular products division, which supplies pipes for oil and gas exploration and development, saw its revenue rise 14% on higher demand for oil and gas rigs. The company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.274 a share. That gives the shares a 4.5% yield. Russel holds cash of $286.1 million, or $4.77 a share. Its long term debt of $314.9 million is only 21.4% of its market cap. Russel…