Topic: How To Invest

Q: Hi, Pat. I invest mostly in stocks that you have recommended. This one was an exception that I bought a year ago. It more than doubled, but now has fallen back. Should I continue to hold for long-term gains? It’s II-VI Inc., symbol IVII on Nasdaq. Thanks for all your advice!

Article Excerpt

A: II-VI Incorporated, $59.42, symbol IIVI on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 105.7 million; Market cap: $6.4 billion; www.ii-vi.com), is a leader in the development, manufacture, and marketing of a wide variety of laser, photonic, infrared, and fibre-optic products and materials. These are used in the communications, military, consumer electronics, semiconductor, life sciences and automotive industries. The company specializes in photonics technology (optical data transmission). That includes fibre optics and lasers (67% of revenue), and silicon carbide semiconductors and computer chips (33%). The communications industry accounts for 68% of II-VI’s revenue; industrial components, 11%; military, 7%; and consumer, 6%. Other markets contribute the rest. The company has research and development, manufacturing, sales, service, and distribution facilities worldwide and is headquartered in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania. To remain at the leading edge of its industry, II-VI invests in its own research, spending roughly 14% of sales on R&D. In addition, it also continues to acquire firms with technology and products that it can use to either enhance or…