Based on the aggregated intelligence of 170,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, radio and communication device specialist Harris
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Harris' business and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.
Harris facts
| Headquarters (Founded) | Melbourne, Fla. (1895) |
| Market Cap | $6.4 billion |
| Industry | Communications equipment |
| Trailing-12-Month Revenue | $5.63 billion |
| Management |
CEO Howard Lance (since 2003) CFO Gary McArthur (since 2006) |
| Return on Equity (Average, Past 3 Years) | 20.9% |
| Cash/Debt | $745.6 million / $1.9 billion |
| Dividend Yield | 2% |
| Competitors |
Boeing
General Dynamics
Lockheed Martin |
Sources: Capital IQ (a division of Standard & Poor's) and Motley Fool CAPS.
On CAPS, 97% of the 564 members who have rated Harris believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include awu3210 and All-Star MagicDiligence, who is ranked in the top 10% of our community.
Less than two months ago, awu3210 listed several of Harris' positives:
A really well run company in a depressed sector. Tops in its field. Great balance sheet. Consistent earnings and revenue growth. Defense cuts fears overblown. What not to like?
Currently, Harris even sports a cheapish price-to-cash flow of 7.4. That represents a discount to listed rivals Boeing (18.7), General Dynamics (10.0), and Lockheed (8.4).
CAPS All-Star MagicDiligence expands on the tailwinds working in Harris' favor:
Old and outdated communications systems dog many municipal police, fire, and rescue organizations. Over time, money will have to be appropriated to upgrade them, and Harris is a market leader. ... This should be a long-tail trend to benefit the firm. Similar but much larger scale opportunities exist at the federal level for various military and civilian organizations. The breadth of Harris' communications applications extends from voice to video and an amazing diversity of data applications (weather, geologic, command-and-control, intelligence, you name it). ...
Competitive position is strong. The firm's radios are the de-facto military standard for NATO, which ensures the company of both replacement demand and a leg-up on developing and supplying next-generation devices for most countries. Many of the GCS contracts run for many years, and consist of extremely "sticky" systems that would be very difficult for the government to swap out to a competitor. ...
That is good upside, combined with growth potential, a strong competitive position, solid financial health, and even relatively strong business momentum.
What do you think about Harris, 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!
Fool contributor Brian Pacampara owns no position in any of the companies mentioned. The Fool owns shares of General Dynamics and Lockheed. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days.
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