Here's guessing that StorageTek (NYSE:STK) is going to need some space to store its good tidings. Last night, the data storage specialist announced that it would be topping its fourth-quarter projections, handily. It is now looking to earn at least $0.55 a share on revenue of better than $660 million.
While the market had been singing the corporate-spending blues over the past couple of years, StorageTek has been whistling a different tune. This will mark the 14th-straight quarter of improving quarterly profits for the company.
Two months ago, we singled out the stock for its Flow Ratio improvement. Truly a global player with half of its business coming from its international operations, StorageTek has come a long way since selling tape drives some 34 years ago. While it has remained loyal to its roots, technology has ramped up the significance, proliferation, and means of storing information electronically.
Focus has been StorageTek's strong suit. As rival EMC (NYSE:EMC) acquires companies to grow its server business and IBM (NYSE:IBM) is -- well, what isn't IBM into these days? -- StorageTek has been true to its past. "We're not distracted by trying to sell servers or other computing products," the company boasts on its website.
You can argue that a little diversification can be a good thing in a technology sector where flux and obsolescence are the norms, but you can't argue with StorageTek's results. With the new guidance coming in a nickel a share higher than Wall Street's targets, the company will have earned at least $1.25 in 2003. Even after surging into the $30s in after-hours trading last night, it gives the company a reasonable trailing earnings multiple in the mid-20s.
Serving an industry that will only continue to grow as business spending improves to go along with a balance sheet that's flush with roughly $8.50 a share in cash, StorageTek may be worthy of one more task of data collection: your attention.
StorageTek and EMC are growing in different ways, but they are both still data storage specialists. What are their differences? Which one should you consider buying into -- if at all? All this and more -- in the EMC discussion board. Only on Fool.com.
