Two top picks for overseas gains

Article Excerpt

Newell and Tupperware, which make plastic food containers and other household products, have both moved up sharply in the past year. That’s mainly because they’re doing a great job of cutting costs, which is raising their profits and giving them more cash for dividends. They also offer investors a low-risk way to gain exposure to emerging markets, particularly as more people in these countries begin to use electricity, which lets them refrigerate food. We see both as buys. However, we feel Tupperware is a better choice for conservative investors. NEWELL RUBBERMAID INC. $26 (New York symbol NWL; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 286.4 million; Market cap: $7.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.2; Dividend yield: 2.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.newellrubbermaid.com) makes plastic storage bins, tools, window blinds, pens and a number of other household items. Its top brands include Rubbermaid, Sharpie, Paper Mate, Parker, Graco, Waterman and Levolor. The company has six divisions: Home Solutions makes foodstorage and cooking products…