Top Five Mid-Cap Stocks

Each business day, TheStreet.com Ratings compiles a list of the top five stocks in five categories -- fast-growth, all-around value, large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap -- and publishes these lists in the Ratings section of our Web site.

The list is based on data from the close of the previous trading session. Today, mid-cap stocks are in the spotlight. These are stocks of companies that have market capitalizations of between $500 million and $10 billion that rank near the top of all stocks rated by our proprietary quantitative model, which looks at more than 60 factors.

The stocks must also be followed by at least one financial analyst who posts estimates on the Institutional Brokers' Estimate System. They are ordered by their potential to appreciate.

Note that no provision is made for off-balance-sheet assets such as unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments, market value of real estate or contingent liabilities that might affect book value. This could be material for some companies with large underfunded pension plans.

AptarGroup(ATR Quote) manufactures and sells dispensing systems to the personal care, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food/beverage markets worldwide. It has been rated a buy since October 2005. Third-quarter revenue increased 19.9% over a year ago to $485.7 million, powered by strong sales, favorable exchange-rate movements and acquisitions.

These factors, along with lower net interest expense and lower tax rates, boosted net income by 39.5% to $39.48 million for the quarter. AptarGroup also implemented a share buyback program authorizing the repurchase of about $19.70 million worth of stock during the fourth quarter.

In addition to noting its financial performance, TheStreet.com Ratings is encouraged by the company's solid fourth-quarter earnings outlook, its initiatives to increase shareholder returns and its strong balance sheet.