Keep holding these top-quality small caps

These three small-cap manufacturers continue to dominate their niche industries. They’re staying ahead of the competition by developing innovative products or building their businesses through timely acquisitions.

But all three operate in cyclical industries, and their share prices have fallen lately as economic growth slows… Read More

TENNANT CO. $55 – New York symbol TNC

TENNANT CO. $55 (New York symbol TNC; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 18.3 million; Market cap: $1.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.2; Dividend yield: 1.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www. tennantco.com) makes industrial floor-cleaning equipment, including scrubbers, sweepers and polishers. It also manufactures… Read More

Niche industrials: 1 buy and 1 hold

Tennant and MTS (see n) have risen sharply in the past few years and now seem expensive in relation to their earnings. However, we feel Tennant’s environmentally friendly products will sell faster than MTS’s testing systems, at least in the next year or two.

TENNANT CO… Read More

TENNANT CO. $68 – New York symbol TNC

TENNANT CO. $68 (New York symbol TNC; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 18.4 million; Market cap: $1.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.6; Dividend yield: 1.2%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.tennantco.com) makes industrial floor-cleaning equipment, including scrubbers, sweepers and polishers. It also manufactures cleaning… Read More

Market leadership gives them an edge

These four small-cap Manufacturing & Industry picks are riskier than most of our large-cap selections in that sector. However, they’re all market leaders with strong reputations, which makes it harder for new competitors to steal their customers. Moreover, all four are using their strong balance… Read More

TENNANT CO. $63 – New York symbol TNC

TENNANT CO. $63 (New York symbol TNC; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 18.5 million; Market cap: $1.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.6; Dividend yield: 1.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.tennantco.com) makes industrial floor-cleaning equipment, including scrubbers, sweepers and polishers. It also manufactures cleaning… Read More