Topic: Growth Stocks

Stock Pickers Digest Hotline – Friday, November 7, 2014

Article Excerpt

RUSSEL METALS INC., $31.50, symbol RUS on Toronto, reported strong quarterly results this week. In the three months ended September 30, 2014, Russel’s revenue rose 30.4%, to $1.04 billion from $796.8 million a year earlier. The company’s metal-services business raised its prices in response to higher demand, increasing its revenue by 14% in the latest quarter. The energy products division, which supplies pipes for oil and gas exploration and development, saw its revenue jump 41%. Earnings gained 74.6%, to $33.0 million, or $0.54 a share. A year earlier, the company earned $18.9 million, or $0.31. Russel has invested in new plants and processing equipment in the past three years, which has cut its costs and improved its efficiency. That’s paying off with higher profit margins. The company holds cash of $27.6 million, or $0.45 a share. Its long-term debt of $459.7 million is a reasonable 23% of its market cap. Russel raised its quarterly dividend by 8.6% with the September 2014 payment, to $0.38 from…