Weak sales growth makes La-Z-Boy a hold

LA-Z-BOY INC. $10 (New York symbol LZB; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 51.9 million; Market cap: $519.0 million; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.5; No dividends paid since March 2009; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative; www.la-z-boy.com) makes reclining chairs and other furniture.

The company’s aggressive cost… Read More

Hello Pat: I own shares of TSO3 and I would like your advice. TSO3 is waiting for a U.S. FDA approval and has a distribution agreement with 3M. Does this stock have real upward potential? Thanks for your attention.

TSO3 Inc., $1.43, symbol TOS on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 58.0 million; Market cap: $83.0 million; www.tso3.com), has developed an innovative sterilization process that uses ozone, a gas comprised of three atoms of oxygen. Ozone is an effective killer of even the most resistant bacteria and… Read More

Small-cap industrials with big potential

Small-cap stocks, generally thought of as those with a market capitalization under $1 billion, have not performed as well as larger companies during the recent market volatility. Over the past year, the Russell 3000 Index, which has median market cap of $807 million, has gained… Read More

These two need a housing rebound

Sherwin-Williams and La-Z-Boy are doing a good job of cutting costs in response to weak housing markets, which are hurting paint and furniture demand. The resulting savings have boosted both companies’ earnings and share prices. However, their sales will likely remain weak for the next… Read More

How to spot high return investments

Hidden value is one of the key factors we look for when we’re picking high return investments to recommend in our investment advisories, including Wall Street Stock Forecaster, our newsletter that covers the U.S. stock market.

By hidden value, we mean valuable assets that are not… Read More

Hi Pat: What do you think about Ebix?

Ebix Inc., $14.74, symbol EBIX on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 35.0 million; Market cap: $516.5 million), sells software and e-commerce services to the insurance industry. These products help Ebix’s clients automate several routine functions, such as preparing quotes and settling claims.

Based in Atlanta, Ebix sells… Read More

Lower costs a plus, but sales remain weak

LA-Z-BOY INC. $11 (New York symbol LZB; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 51.6 million; Market cap: $567.6 million; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.5; No dividends paid since March 2009; WSSF Rating: Speculative) makes upholstered reclining chairs and sofas. It also imports wooden furniture,… Read More