Time to sell these three

Article Excerpt

We constantly reevaluate our stock picks, to single out those with the best ratio of low risk and strong potential. These three no longer pass this test, and we now see them as sells. WEYERHAEUSER CO. $28 (New York symbol WY; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 537.8 million; Market cap: $15.1 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.3; Dividend yield: 2.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; www.weyerhaeuser.com) is a leading maker of forest products, including paper and packaging. The stock is up 48% since the start of 2012. That’s mainly because of signs that the U.S. housing market is starting to recover, which should spur lumber demand. However, paper prices remain depressed. As well, Weyerhaeuser trades at a high 50.9 times its projected 2012 earnings of $0.55 a share. That makes it vulnerable to sudden drop if growth slows. Weyerhaeuser is a sell. XEROX CORP. $6.48 (New York symbol XRX; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 1.3 billion; Market cap: $8.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio:…