Most hundred-year-old companies tend to lose their luster. That's not the case with ChoicePoint (NYSE:CPS).
The company's products include searches of public records, biometric solutions, and risk assessments for the insurance industry.
In the last quarter, the comprehensive provider of data services for security continued its strong growth path. Revenues increased 16% to $231.4 million from the same period a year ago. The company posted earnings per share of $0.40.
Management was certainly upbeat on the conference call. The company expects revenue growth to range from 15% to 19% for 2004.
A critical component of ChoicePoint's success has been its acquisitions. One recent deal was the purchase of Investigation Technologies. The company manages an interesting database called Rapsheets, which allows for effective searches of criminal records.
There was also the acquisition of ADREM Profiles, a provider of employment screening services and a marquee customer base.
The success of ChoicePoint, though, may make it an interesting target itself. After all, a few months ago, Marsh & McLennan (NYSE:MMC) said it would shell out $1.9 billion to buy one of ChoicePoint's main competitors, Kroll (NASDAQ:KROL).
Fool contributor Tom Taulli is the author of The EDGAR Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He does not own shares in any of the stocks mentioned.
