Topic: How To Invest

Westport Innovations has been very much on the rise for the past year. What is your recommendation? Thank you.

Article Excerpt

Westport Innovations, $44.26, symbol WPT on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 48.5 million; Market cap: $2.1 billion), develops technology that lets engines operate on gaseous fuels like natural gas and hydrogen. The company also has a 50/50 joint venture with Cummins Inc. called Cummins Westport Inc. This partnership sells a range of low-emission alternative-fuel engines for medium-duty commercial vehicles. In the three months ended September 30, 2011, Westport’s revenue jumped 80.5%, to $81.0 million from $44.9 million a year earlier. (All figures except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars.) However, the company widened its loss to $8.5 million, or $0.27 a share, from $3.6 million, or $0.16 a share. Westport’s shares have more than doubled since August 2011. That gives the company a very high market capitalization of $2.1 billion. That means the stock has a lot of future expectations built into its price. The company will have to sell a lot of its technology to bring in the ongoing revenue needed to…