Topic: Growth Stocks

ABB LTD. ADRs $19 – New York symbol ABB

ABB LTD. ADRs $19 (New York symbol ABB; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; ADRs outstanding: 2.3 billion; Market cap: $43.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.2; Dividend yield: 3.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.abb.com) is a leading maker of power technologies for utilities, including transformers, transmission systems and circuit breakers. The Switzerland-based company also makes automation systems and robotics that industrial clients use to make their facilities more productive.

ABB has spent over $7.6 billion on acquisitions, including the cash these companies held, since the start of 2011. Expanding by acquisition adds risk, but these purchases have helped ABB expand into new regions. They also nicely complement its current products.

For example, in January 2011 ABB paid $4.2 billion for Arkansas-based Baldor Electric Co., which makes electric motors and related products, such as conveyor belts, fans and pumps.

In May 2012, ABB paid $3.9 billion for Thomas & Betts Corp., which makes a number of industrial products, including heating and air conditioning equipment, electrical connectors and transmission towers for power companies. Combining some of its functions with Thomas & Betts could save ABB $200 million a year by 2016.

In the three months ended June 30, 2012, ABB’s revenue fell 0.2%, to $9.66 billion from $9.68 billion a year earlier. That’s mainly because the high value of the U.S. dollar held back the contribution of its international businesses. Excluding exchange rates, its revenue rose 6%. Thomas & Betts contributed $310 million to the latest quarterly revenue.

Costs to integrate ABB’s latest acquisitions cut its earnings by 26.5% in the quarter, to $656 million, or $0.29 per ADR (each American Depositary Receipt represents one ABB common share). A year earlier, ABB earned $893 million, or $0.39 per ADR.

The stock trades at just 12.8 times the $1.48 per ADR that ABB will probably earn in 2012. The $0.70 dividend yields 3.7%.

ABB is a buy.

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