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Kroger (NYSE: KR) is one of the nation's largest retail grocery chains. It operates nearly 2,500 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states, under such local banners as Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Fry's, Dillons, QFC and City Market. The firm also operates about 778 convenience stores, 392 fine jewelry stores, 723 supermarket fuel centers and 41 food processing plants. Despite diversification moves, Kroger food stores still account for about 85 percent of sales. Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) and Safeway (NYSE: SWY) are major competitors.

The firm pleased investors last week, when it reported fiscal Q1 EPS of 58 cents and revenues of $23.11 billion. Analysts had been expecting 55 cents and $22.32 billion. The EPS figure was a company record. Management also offered in-line guidance for FY09 earnings and said that about $643.6 million remained under the $1 billion stock repurchase program announced in January.

KR shares popped on the news and then began defining a bullish "flag" consolidation pattern. Stocks often leave flags moving in the same direction they were traveling on entry. In this case, that would be to the upside.

Brokers recommend the issue with three "strong buys", five "buys", two "holds" and one "underperform". The KR P/E ratio (15.86), Price to Sales ratio (0.26), Price to Book ratio (3.76), Price to Cash Flow ratio (7.15), EPS Growth rate (23.28%) and Return on Equity (24.04%) compare favorably with industry, sector and S&P 500 averages. Institutional investors hold about 83% of the outstanding shares. The stock is one of those used to calculate the S&P 500 Index. Over the past 52 weeks, it has traded between $23.39 and $30.00. A stop-loss of $24.90 looks good here.

Larry Schutts is a contributing editor for Theflyonthewall.com and the Vice-President of Stockwinners.com. He does not hold positions in any of the stocks mentioned above.

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Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBY) Q1 earnings tumbled while revenues rose.
• Casella Waste Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CWST) posted a narrower-than-expected Q4 loss.
• CKE Restaurants Inc. (NYSE: CKR) Q1 earnings increased but its revenue slipped.
• Darden Restaurants Inc. (NYSE: DRI) swung to a Q4 profit on strong sales at Olive Garden.
• Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) said it might not see Q2 profit growth on lower demand and shipping delays.
• General Mills Inc. (NYSE: GIS) Q4 earnings declined but were in line with expectations.
• Gerber Scientific Inc. (NYSE: GRB) reported solid Q4 and full-year results that pleased investors.
• IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS) beat Q2 expectations and posted record quarterly cash flow from operations.
• Jabil Circuit Inc. (NYSE: JBL) stronger-than-expected Q3 results led to an analyst's upgrade.
• KB Home (NYSE: KBH) widened its Q2 loss due to weak sales and falling prices.
• Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) beat Q1 expectations as consumers sought discounts on food and gas.
• Monsanto Co. (NYSE: MON) beat Q3 earnings estimates but fell short of revenue estimates.
• Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) posted better-than-expected Q4 results boosted by international strength.
• Oracle Corp. (NASDAQ: ORCL) posted strong Q4 results that topped analysts' expectations (see transcript).

• Palm Inc. (NASDAQ: PALM) posted dismal results as revenue fell despite higher sales volume.
• Red Hat Inc. (NYSE: RHT) Q1 revenues soared as results beat Wall Street expectations.
• Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) posted disappointing results and lackluster guidance (transcript).
• Rite-Aid Corp. (NYSE: RAD) swung ot a larger-than-expected Q1 loss on integration difficulties.
• Sonic Corp. (NASDAQ: SONC) earnings warning took shares to a new 52-week low.
• Symmetry Medical Inc. (NYSE: SMA) beat Q1 estimates on increased demand and acquisitions.
• United Parcel Serivce (NYSE: UPS) cut its earnings forecast due to rising fuel prices and less demand.
• Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG) posted sluggish Q3 results despite cost-cutting measures.

Also, do the results from Oracle, Research in Motion, and Red Hat point to a bottom for tech stocks? Will Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) new CFO be more likely to provide the guidance that analysts crave?

Upcoming results to watch for include H&R Block (NYSE: HRB), Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ), Apollo Group (NASDAQ: APOL), Family Dollar (NYSE: FDO), WD-40 (NASDAQ: WDFC), and Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A).

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On Tuesday, both Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), the nation's largest traditional grocer, and casual dining chain operator Darden Restaurants Inc. (NYSE: DRI) reported better-than-expected profit increases.

Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. said first-quarter profits rose 15% from the year-ago quarter to $386 million, or 58 cents per share, due in part to discounts on food, gas, and drugs that drew in budget-strapped consumers. For the quarter ended May 24, revenue climbed 12% to $23.11 billion.

Analysts polled by Thomson Financial had expected a earnings of 55 cents a share on revenue of $22.32 billion.

Kroger also reported that same-store sales rose 5.8%, excluding fuel, and 9.2% including fuel sales.

The company offered fiscal-year earnings guidance of $1.85 to $1.90 per share, compared to the analysts' forecast of $1.90 per share.

Kroger shares rose $1.82 Tuesday to $27.82, then fell in after-hours trading. The shares have risen 10.2% in the past three months.

Darden said it swung to a profit of $101.8 million, or 71 cents per share, in its fiscal fourth quarter, boosted by strong sales at the Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse. Adjusted earnings were 78 cents per share. For the quarter ended May 25, revenue rose 25% to $1.83 billion.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial had expected profit of 75 cents per share on revenue of $1.82 billion.

Same-store sales in the U.S. grew 5.8% at the Olive Garden during the quarter, but fell at Red Lobster and Longhorn Steakhouse.

For the year, Orlando-based Darden said earnings soared 87% to $377.2 million, and revenue rose 19% to $6.63 billion.

Shares rose 95 cents Tuesday, or 3.1%, to close at $31.60, then fell in after-hours trading. Darden shares have fallen 7.3% in the past three months.

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

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If you were looking for help from the economic front or from the oil patch today to help out the market, that wasn't in the cards. Home prices plunged by a record 15.3% from may 2007 to May 2008. Consumer confidence also came in at a 16-year low. From bottom to top to bottom we had more than a 150 point trading range in the DJIA today. These are the unofficial closing levels:

• DJIA 11810.04 (-32.89)
• S&P 500 1314.54 (-3.46)
• NASDAQ 2368.28 (-17.46)
• 10YR T-Note 4.105% (-0.063%)
• 52-week lows
• Top 10 Analyst Calls

Eastman Kodak Co. (NYSE: EK) saw a sharp rise with shares up 15% at $4.20 late in the day after the company announced a large IRS refund and a $1 billion buyback to retire close to half of its stock.

Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE: LLY) hit the 52-week low list and a multi-year low earlier today before recovering list after the FDA delayed a decision on its anti-clot blood thinning drug, with shares down some 1.5% at $46.87 in the final minutes today.

Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) saw shares rise a sharp 7% with shares at $27.88 in the final minutes today after the company raised guidance.

Reliance Steel (NYSE: RS) saw shares up after the company raised its own guidance again. Its shares were only up 0.5% at $73.85 in the final minutes of the trading day. Shares were up over 5% at the start.

United Parcel Service Inc. (NYSE: UPS) saw a drop after the company came clean and fessed up that high fuel prices and low demand for premium delivery services were hurting business domestically and abroad. Shares were down 6% at $62.26 late in the day.

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Though the quarter is winding down, there are still earnings reports to come, including Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG) and Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR). Both companies are expected to report profit growth this coming week.

Walgreen is expected by analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial to report third-quarter earnings of 59 cents per share, up 6.8% from the same period of last year, on revenue of $15.1 billion. The company has provided positive surprises in four of the past five quarters -- by two cents in the previous quarter.

Based in Deerfield, Ill., Walgreen is the largest drug store chain in the U.S. in terms of sales, and has more than 6,200 stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. In the past year, the company's revenues were $53.7 billion and its net income totaled $2.0 billion. Its long-term EPS growth forecast is 14.0%, which is less than the retail industry average, as well as less than that of rival CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS). The consensus recommendation of analysts has recently shifted from hold to buy Walgreen.

The share price is up 4.0% since the beginning of the year, and up from 11.6% from a year ago. It trades at a P/E ratio of 20.68. Shares closed Friday at $41.35.

Kroger is expected to report first-quarter net income of 55 cents per share, up 10.9% from the year-ago period, on revenue of $22.3 billion. The company has provided positive surprises in the past five quarters -- by a penny in the previous quarter.

Cincinnati-based Kroger is the nation's largest grocery chain, though Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) sells more groceries. Kroger has more than 3,600 stores, including supermarkets, department stores, and convenience stores. In the past year, the company's revenues were $70.2 billion and its net income totaled $1.2 billion. The company's long-range EPS growth forecast is 10.6%, less than the industry average and slightly less than that of rival Safeway (NYSE: SWY). The consensus recommendation of analysts remains to buy Kroger.

The share price is up 4.7% in the past three months, but has fallen 11.9% from a year ago. It trades at a P/E ratio of 15.92. Shares closed Friday at $26.61.

Walgreen is scheduled to report earnings Monday morning, Kroger on Tuesday morning.

For more news that could influence the results, see BloggingStocks' Walgreen coverage and Kroger coverage.

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Citi Investment Research affirmed Plexus (NASDAQ: PLXS) affirmed its "hold" rating ahead of the company's analyst meeting, according to the AP.

J.P Morgan downgraded Alcoa (NYSE: AA) to "neutral" from "overweight," according to Briefing.com. The news service also reports that Friedman Billings affirmed its "outperform" rating on Kroger (NYSE:KR.)

Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU) was started as Neutral at Goldman Sachs, according to 24/7 Wall St.

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Three types of raw tomatoes -- red plum, red Roma and round red tomatoes -- grown in 17 states are voluntarily being pulled of the shelves and menus of McDonald's (NYSE: MCD), Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT), Burger King (NYSE: BKC), Kroger (NYSE: KR), Outback Steakhouse, Winn-Dixie (NYSE: WINN) and Taco Bell, among others. In fact, "McDonald's has stopped serving sliced tomatoes on its sandwiches as a precaution, but will continue serving grape tomatoes in its salads because no problems have been linked to that variety."

Similarly, Burger King, Yum Brands Inc. (NYSE: YUM) restaurants, Darden Restaurants (NYSE: DRI), and Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (NYSE: CMG) have also removed the contaminated brands from their menus across the U.S., and some, like Burger King, in Canada, Puerto Rico and some other Caribbean islands as well. Many left the non-contaminated brands on the menu.

Getting salmonella is not fun. It's a bacteria that lives in the intestinal tracts of humans and most infected people suffer fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps starting 12 to 72 hours after infection and lasting for 4-7 days. The FDA hasn't found the source of the contamination, although it usually means contact with animal feces.

Tomatoes are probably the healthiest thing in many fast food sandwiches and on many menu items, but I guess not when they are contaminated. It's just too bad that this happened in the midst of the "good tomatoes" season. After eating tomatoes that taste and feel like plastic all winter long, it's a treat to have those summery sweet tomatoes. I guess we'll just have to stick to the non-contaminated brands and cooked tomatoes dishes like tomato-based pasta sauces.

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MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• JMP Securities upgraded Fiserv (NASDAQ: FISV) to Outperform from Market Perform citing a reversal of the Bank of America in-house risk, potential re-branding initiatives, and relative pricing stability.
  
• Bear upgraded Arbitron (NYSE: ARB) to Outperform from Peer Perform citing PPM earnings growth potential, strong industry position, defensive nature of shares, and it views the company as an acquisition target.
  
• Lehman raised Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC) to Overweight from Equal Weight citing relative valuation and strong U.S. gas exposure.

• Goldman added Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) to its Conviction Buy List.
  
• Morgan Stanley lifted Kroger (NYSE: KR) and British American Tobacco (ASE: BTI) to Overweight from Equal Weight.

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Coinstar (NASDAQ: CSTR) offers North American and U.K. retailers a range of storefront service and entertainment devices. These include coin counters, kiddie rides, bulk vending machines, skill-crane games and point-of-sale terminals. The firm also provides self-service DVD movie rental/purchase kiosks and provides money transfer services, prepaid wireless products, stored value cards, payroll cards and prepaid debit cards. Coinstar products and services are distributed through more than 53,000 retail stores. Corporate clients include Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT), Kroger (NYSE: KR) and Walgreen (NYSE: WAG).

The company surprised the Street last week, when it reported Q1 EPS of 18 cents and revenues of $190.5 million. Analysts had been expecting four cents and $182.7 million. Management also guided Q2 EPS to 8-15 cents (12 cent consensus), Q2 revenues to $200-$210 million ($202.19M consensus), FY08 EPS to 60-75 cents (57 cent consensus) and FY08 revenues to $850-$900 million ($829.83M consensus). DA Davidson subsequently upgraded the stock to "buy".

The CSTR share price popped on the news and then settled into a bullish "flag" consolidation pattern. Prices frequently exit flags moving in the same direction they were traveling on entry. In this case, that would be to the upside.

Altogether, brokers recommend the issue with five "strong buys", three "buys", four "holds" and one "underperform". Analysts expect an 18% average annual growth rate, through the next five years. The CSTR Price to Sales ratio (1.85), Price to Book ratio (3.32), Sales Growth rate (43.99%) and EPS Growth rate (100.00%) compare favorably with industry, sector and S&P 500 averages. Institutional investors hold about 95% of the outstanding shares. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock has traded between $24.69 and $38.00. A stop-loss of $31.45 looks good here.

Larry Schutts is a contributing editor for Theflyonthewall.com and the Vice-President of Stockwinners.com. He does not hold positions in any of the stocks mentioned above.

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ThinkPanmure has upgraded VMWare (NYSE: VMW) to "buy" from "accumulate," according to Briefing.com. The financial news service also reports that Merrill Lynch has upgraded Kroger (NYSE: KR) to "buy" from "neutral."

Citi Investment Research reiterated its "hold" on Molex (NASDAQ: MOLX) saying that "high raw material costs may weigh on earnings," according to the AP.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

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Here are a few highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• America's Car-Mart Inc. (NASDAQ: CRMT) beat estimates by closing underperforming branches.
• Aristotle Corp. (NASDAQ: ARTL) fourth-quarter revenue edged up while earnings slipped.
• Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX) fourth-quarter profit plunged on bond insurance related write-downs.
• Boston Beer Co. Inc. (NYSE: SAM) fourth-quarter profit more than doubled as drinkers switch to craft beers.
• CAI International Inc. (NYSE: CAP) beat expectations fourth quarter and raised its guidance.
• Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) offered encouraging guidance for the full year and long term.
• Consolidated Communications Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSL) beat estimates for the fourth quarter.
• Flow International Corp. (NASDAQ: FLOW) beat expectations, sending shares up sharply.
• Gehl Co. (NASDAQ: GEHL) fourth-quarter profit fell but beat expectations due to international growth.
• J. Crew Group Inc. (NYSE: JCG) raised its full-year outlook, sending shares higher.
• Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) beat fourth-quarter expectations though profit slumped due to inflation.
• Maidenform Brands Inc. (NYSE: MFB) beat fourth quarter estimates due to sourcing initiatives.
• Smart Balance Inc. (NASDAQ: SMBL) nearly doubled its fourth-quarter loss despite strong revenue growth.
• Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO) posted a narrower-than-expected first-quarter loss.
• WellPoint Inc. (NYSE: WLP) cut its first-quarter and full-year forecasts on higher expenses.

Also, analysts are pessimistic about earnings for the first half of the year. Jim Cramer sees earnings as the other shoe after good news from the Fed, and things look grim for auto makers as well as for smaller companies. At least one analyst expects a big earnings miss from Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG). Target's (NYSE: TGT) moves into consumer credit may come back to hurt its first-quarter results. But some analysts are bullish about Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) ahead of earings next week. Georges Yared wonders if Wal-Mart's (NYSE: WMT) earnings make it a good buy for the long term. And the SEC may change reporting rules for financial firms.

Upcoming results to watch for include Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS), Lehman Bros. (NYSE: LEH), Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS), Bear Stearns (NYSE: BSC), Nike (NYSE: NKE), General Mills (NYSE: GIS), FedEx (NYSE: FDX), Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS),

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

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MOST NOTEWORTHY: UBS AG, KLA-Tencor and Level 3 Comm were today's noteworthy downgrades:

• Keefe Bruyette downgraded shares of UBS (NYSE: UBS) to Underperform from Market Perform as they expect as they expect further write-downs to erase profits in 2008.
• Oppenheimer downgraded shares of KLA-Tencor (NASDAQ: KLAC) to Underperform from Perform after checks indicated Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) has chosen Applied Materials' (NASDAQ: AMAT) reticle inspection tool for its entire 32nm node after a long period of evaluation against KLA-Tencor. Oppenheimer believes this represents a $300M shift from KLA-Tencor's dominant market share in reticle inspection.
  
• Jefferies cut Level 3 Communications (NASDAQ: LVLT) to Hold from Buy as they see limited opportunity for near-term share appreciation given the company's integration challenges and the added uncertainty from recent management changes.

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• Keefe Bruyette downgraded Credit Suisse (NYSE: CS) to Market Perform from Outperform.
  
• Kroger (NYSE: KR) was downgraded to Underweight from Neutral at JP Morgan.
  
• Baird cut Network Appliance (NASDAQ: NTAP) to Neutral from Outperform.

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Shares of Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), the nation's largest traditional grocery chain, fell 74 cents to $24.90 in morning trading as the company reported that its fourth-quarter profit slumped 16%. Though overall sales rose 2%, results were dragged down by a large inventory charge.

Kroger posted earnings of $322.9 million, or 48 cents per share, for the quarter that ended February 2, compared with a profit of $384.8 million, or 54 cents per share, a year earlier. Revenue in the quarter rose to $17.23 billion from $16.86 billion a year ago. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial had expected earnings of 47 cents per share on revenue of $16.81 billion.

Kroger blamed the higher-than-expected inventory charge of five cents per share on inflation, and also said that the previous year's quarterly earnings were boosted by a tax benefit.

For the quarter, same-store sales, or sales at supermarkets open more than a year, increased 8.2% with fuel sales at its stations and 5.3% without fuel sales.

Profits for the full-year were $1.18 billion, or $1.69 per share, up from $1.11 billion, or $1.54 per share, in the previous year. Revenue increased 6.2% percent to $70.2 billion from $66.1 billion, but sales rose 8.2% when adjusted for an extra week in 2006. Same-store sales rose 6.9% with fuel and 5.3% without it.

Kroger forecast earnings of $1.83 to $1.90 per share for this fiscal year, below the analysts' forecast of $1.91. The company expects same-store sales growth of 3% to 5%, excluding fuel sales.

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Private equity giant Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX) and leading grocery chain Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) are scheduled to report earnings this week. Here's a quick peek at them ahead of results.

Blackstone went public in 2007 and has yet to beat earnings estimates. When the company reported third-quarter results back in November, earnings came to 21 cents per share, well below the consensus forecast of analysts polled by Thomson Financial of 30 cents, as well as the previous quarter's earnings of 46 cents (its first report after the IPO). For the current quarter, analysts expect only 19 cents per share, and $1.47 for the year.

The analysts' consensus recommendation is to buy Blackstone, with 3 of 8 analysts rating it a strong buy. Shares have fallen since the IPO to a low of $14.16 last week, but closed Friday at $14.58.

For news about Blackstone that could influence the earnings results, see BloggingStocks' Blackstone coverage.

Kroger has beat earnings expectations in the past five quarters. When it reported third-quarter results back in December, its 37 cents per share earnings beat the consensus forecast of analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial by two cents, and was up from 30 cents in the same period of the previous year. For the current quarter, analysts expect 47 cents per share, compared to 51 cents in the year-ago quarter. Analysts expect $1.70 for the full year, up from $1.52 in 2007.

Kroger's earnings per share growth forecast for the next three to five years is 5.9%, which is better than that of competitor Safeway Inc. (NYSE: SWY), but not as good as the industry average of $15.5%. The consensus analysts' recommendation is to buy Kroger, and has been for at least six months. Shares closed Friday at $25.66, still well off the 52-week high of $31.94 last June.

For news about Kroger and its rivals that could influence the earnings results, see BloggingStocks' Kroger coverage.

Blackstone is scheduled to release results tomorrow, Kroger on Tuesday.

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Monday, March 10

• Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) and InterActive Corp. (NASDAQ: IACI) to present at Bear Stearns Media Conference.
• Texas Instruments Inc. (NYSE: TXN) to hold mid-quarter update conference call at 5:00 pm.

Tuesday, March 11

• Foot Locker Inc. (NYSE: FL) to report Q4 earnings; conference call at 9:00 am.
• Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) to hold analyst meeting at 9:00 am.
• Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) to report Q4 earnings; conference call at 10 am.

Wednesday, March 12

• FDA Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee Meeting on Schering-Plough Corp.'s (NYSE: SGP) sBLA for Pegintronfor treatment of melanoma at 8:00 am.
• Freddie Mac (NYSE: FRE) to host analyst/investor meeting at 8:30 am.
• Hot Topic (NASDAQ: HOTT) to report Q4 earnings; conference call at 4:30 pm.

Thursday, March 13

• FDA Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee Meeting on Amgen Inc.'s (NASDAQ: AMGN) BLA for NPLATE for treatment of thrombocytopenia at 8:00 am.
• Neenah Paper Inc. (NYSE: NP) to report Q4 earnings; conference call at 11:00 am.

Friday, March 14

• PDUFA date for CV Therapeutics' (NASDAQ: CVTX) Regadenoson.
• Ann Taylor Stores (NYSE: ANN) to report Q4 earnings; conference call at 8:30 am.
• DuPont (NYSE: DD) annual investor day meeting at 8:30 am.

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Radiant Systems (NASDAQ: RADS) provides hardware systems and software used to manage site operations in a variety of retail settings. Products include touch-screen point-of-sale devices, self-service kiosks, integrated back-office systems and centralized data management systems designed for use in restaurants, cinemas, convenience stores and general retail locations. Customers include Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM), Home Depot (NYSE: HD) and Kroger (NYSE: KR).

Investors were pleased last week, when SunTrust offered a positive assessment of the firm's prospects and then the company issued a positive quarterly summary. Management reported Q4 EPS of 27 cents and revenues of $70.3 million. Analysts had been expecting 22 cents and $68.9 million. The company also guided Q1 EPS to 15-16 cents (16 cent consensus), Q1 revenues to $60-$70 million ($63.61M consensus), FY08 EPS to 84-86 cents (76 cent consensus) and FY08 revenues to $305-$308 million ($282.45M consensus). Wedbush Morgan subsequently reiterated its "buy" rating on the shares.

The stock popped through major moving average resistance on the news and then settled into a bullish "pennant" consolidation pattern. Prices frequently exit pennants moving in the same direction they were traveling on entry. In this case, that would be to the upside.

Altogether, brokers recommend the issue with two "strong buys" and three "buys". Analysts see a 21% average annual growth rate, through the next five years. The RADS Price to Sales ratio (2.03) and EPS Growth rate (58.82%) compare favorably with industry, sector and S&P 500 averages. Institutional investors hold about 80% of the outstanding shares. The stock is one of those used to calculate the S&P 600 SmallCap Index. Over the past 52 weeks, it has traded between $11.00 and $18.33. A stop-loss of $13.90 looks good here.

Larry Schutts is a contributing editor for Theflyonthewall.com and the Vice-President of Stockwinners.com. He does not hold positions in any of the stocks mentioned above.

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