Topic: Growth Stocks

Stock Pickers Digest Hotline – Friday, August 2, 2013

Article Excerpt

WESTJET AIRLINES LTD., $21.36, symbol WJA on Toronto, moved up almost 7% this week after reporting record quarterly earnings. In the three months ended June 30, 2013, the company’s earnings rose 5.2%, to $44.7 million from $42.5 million a year earlier. That marks WestJet’s 33rd consecutive quarter of profitability. Earnings per share rose 9.7%, to $0.34 from $0.31, on fewer shares outstanding. Revenue increased 4.3%, to $843.7 million from $809.3 million a year earlier. WestJet shares fell as low as $19.65 earlier this week after reaching an all-time high of $25.47 in April 2013. The decline was mostly due to investor concern that the company’s profit growth could slow if it can’t fill the new planes it’s adding to the same level as its current fleet. That includes its new Canadian regional airline, WestJet Encore, which launched in June 2013. WestJet will take delivery of 35 more Boeing 737s through 2018. It now has 100 of these planes. Overall, the company’s…