Toolmakers: 1 buy and 1 hold

Article Excerpt

Shares of these two toolmakers have risen strongly in the past few months. We like the long-term outlook for both of them, but we feel Stanley offers better value than Snap-On (see box) right now. STANLEY BLACK & DECKER INC. $103 (New York symbol SWK; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 153.7 million; Market cap: $15.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.4; Dividend yield: 2.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.stanleyblack anddecker.com) is one of the world’s largest makers of hand and power tools for consumers. Its top-selling brands include Stanley, Black & Decker, FatMax and Powerlock. This business supplies 62% of the company’s sales. Stanley also makes building-security products, such as locks and gates (19% of sales) and specialized tools for industrial users, including auto mechanics and construction firms (19%). The company has a long history of using acquisitions to diversify its operations. Since 2002, it has spent $6.2 billion buying related firms, excluding its March 2010 purchase…