Top 5 Mid-Caps for Nov. 27

Looking forward to full-year fiscal 2008, the company reconfirmed its EPS guidance to a range of $2.83 and $2.85, which would represent a 15% to 16% increase over fiscal year 2007. The company also reconfirmed its forecast of organic revenue growth beyond 3% to 4%. Management announced that it was pleased with the organic revenue growth, increasing gross margin, tight management of overhead costs, and increased marketing spending during the third quarter. Bear in mind, however, that failure to achieve revenue from new products and increased prices may pose a threat to Church & Dwight's future financial performance. In addition, a decrease in demand for the company's products due to the slowdown in the U.S. economy could negatively impact revenue growth.

ManTech International(MANT Quote) provides technologies and solutions for mission-critical national security programs for the intelligence community, the space community and various departments and agencies of the U.S. federal government. ManTech has been rated a buy since March 2005. Our rating is based on strengths such as the company's robust revenue growth, largely solid financial position and record of EPS growth.

For the third quarter of fiscal 2008, revenue rose by 26.8% year over year. This increase was primarily the result of a business strategy focused on high-end defense and intelligence markets supporting U.S. national security. Revenue growth appears to have helped boost earnings per share, which improved 31.4% when compared to the same quarter a year ago. The EPS increase from 51 cents to 67 cents represents the continuation of a pattern of positive EPS growth demonstrated by ManTech over the past two years, a trend which we feel should continue. Net income also increased in the third quarter, rising from $17.48 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2007 to $23.86 million in the most recent quarter. ManTech's very low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.007 and quick ratio of 1.42 illustrate the company's successful management of debt levels and ability to avoid short-term cash problems.