Topic: How To Invest

Hi Pat: I would like to know what you think about Stillwater Mining. Thanks.

Article Excerpt

Stillwater Mining, $14.71, symbol SWC on New York (Shares outstanding: 99.2 million; Market cap: $1.6 billion; www.stillwatermining.com), mines and refines platinum and palladium, which are mainly used in catalytic converters for automobiles. The company operates the Stillwater mine near Nye, Montana, and the East Boulder mine south of McLeod, Montana. Stillwater also operates concentrating plants at both mines to upgrade ore to a concentrate. It further upgrades the concentrate at a smelter, refinery and laboratory at Columbus, Montana. The smelter also recycles material from spent catalytic converters. In the three months ended March 31, 2011, Stillwater’s revenue rose 27.4%, to $170.1 million from $133.5 million a year earlier. Earnings jumped to a record $0.35 a share from $0.14 a share. That’s mainly because of sharply higher platinum and palladium prices. The company also increased its production. To diversify into copper production, Stillwater bought Marathon PGM Corp. (formerly symbol MAR on Toronto) for $118 million in late 2010. Marathon’s main asset is a..