Mentor grows in autos; Atlantic goes solar

Article Excerpt

MENTOR GRAPHICS CORP. $24.33 (Nasdaq symbol MENT; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (503- 685-7000; www.mentor.com; Shares outstanding: 116.1 million; Market cap: $2.9 billion; Dividend yield: 0.9%) makes hardware and software for improving the design of electronic products and speeding up their development. For example, Mentor’s software lets automakers use less wiring in a car, identify potential safety issues and minimize electromagnetic effects on sensitive components. In the quarter ended January 31, 2015, Mentor’s revenue rose 9.5%, to $439.1 million from $401.0 million a year earlier. Excluding one-time items, earnings per share gained 18.5%, to $1.09 from $0.92. Mentor typically makes about 70% of its profits in its fiscal fourth quarter, which ends January 31. That’s the busiest period in its customers’ purchasing cycle. Move to wired cars a major plus The company holds cash of $230.3 million, or $2.00 a share, and its $230.4 million of long-term debt is a low 7.9% of its market cap. Mentor spends a very high 31% of its revenue on…