These two sell into expanding markets

Article Excerpt

SIERRA WIRELESS $21.28 (Toronto symbol SW; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (604-231-1100; www.sierrawireless.com; Shares outstanding: 35.9 million; Market cap: $762.0 million; No dividend. paid) makes digital components that connect products, including smart electricity meters and vehicles, to the Internet. That machine-to-machine networking is commonly known as the “Internet of Things.” In the quarter ended December 31, 2017, Sierra made sales of $183.5 million. That’s up 13.8% from $163.0 million a year earlier (all figures except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars). Excluding one-time items, the company earned $9.2 million, or $0.28 a share. That’s up 4.1% from $8.8 million, or $0.27, a year earlier. The gains came mostly from the higher sales. To remain competitive, Sierra spends a high 12% of its revenue on research. The company also buys firms with technology and products it can use for its existing business. Most recently, it acquired Numerex Corporation (symbol NMRX on Nasdaq) for $107 million of its common shares. Numerex operates in the same Internet of Things…