Topic: How To Invest

Pat: Thanks for all the great advice to date. What is your opinion on Olin Corporation?

Article Excerpt

Olin Corp., $12.58, symbol OLN on New York (Shares outstanding: 77.9 million; Market cap: $980.2 million), is a holding company with two main businesses: 1) The chlor-alkali products division supplied 72% of Olin’s revenue and 91% of its profits in 2008. It is North America’s third-largest maker of chlorine, caustic soda and other industrial chemicals. The division has nine plants in the U.S. and one in Canada. Chlorine is a raw material in a wide variety of plastics. It is also used to purify water. Caustic soda is an ingredient in soaps and detergents. Pulp-and-paper producers also use it as a bleaching agent. Olin uses a process called electrolysis, which involves passing an electrical current through salt, to simultaneously make chlorine and caustic soda. As a result, salt and electricity account for 55% of this division’s production costs. 2) The Winchester division contributed 28% of Olin’s revenue and 9% of its profits in 2008. Winchester makes small-calibre ammunition for guns and rifles, and sells…