Based on the aggregated intelligence of 170,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, palladium miner Stillwater Mining (NYSE: SWC ) has earned a respected four-star ranking.
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Stillwater's business and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.
Stillwater facts
| Headquarters (Founded) |
Columbus, Mont. (1992) |
| Market Cap |
$2.19 billion |
| Industry |
Precious metals and minerals |
| Revenue |
$555.88 million |
| Management |
Chairman/CEO Francis McAllister (since 2001)
CFO Gregory Wing (since 2004) |
| Return on Equity (Average, Past 3 Years) |
(5.6%) |
| Cash/Debt |
$208.35 million / $196 million |
| Competitors |
North American Palladium (AMEX: PAL ) |
Sources: Capital IQ (a division of Standard & Poor's) and Motley Fool CAPS.
On CAPS, 93% of the 592 members who have rated Stillwater believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include All-Star jvaskonen, who is ranked in the top 10% of our community, and Piratedick.
Late last month, jvaskonen tapped Stillwater as a particularly solid pick: "Platinum isn't just pretty and rare, it's also an important catalyst. As the developing world surges forward, I expect platinum prices to rise with it, which should bode well for these guys. I am also partial to domestic mining."
Over the past five years, in fact, Stillwater has grown its bottom line at a brisk rate of 30.9% annually. That's much faster than main rival North American Palladium (-5.4%), as well as gorilla mining plays like Rio Tinto (NYSE: RIO ) (6.9%) and Vale (NYSE: VALE ) (8.7%).
CAPS member Piratedick expands on the outperform argument:
Mines in Montana, the only significant source of palladium and platinum outside of S Africa. has extensive mineralised deposits of 'platinum group' metals. Well placed to benefit from current increase demand across commodities and demand for precious metals for both jewelry and industrial as demand increases due to global economic recovery, particularly the motor trade due to metals use in catalytic converters. Company also predicts increased earnings for next financial year.
What do you think about Stillwater, or any other stock for that matter? If you want to retire rich, you need to put together the best portfolio you can. Owning exceptional stocks is a surefire way to secure your financial future, and on Motley Fool CAPS, thousands of investors are working every day to find them. CAPS is 100% free, so get started!
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