Top 5 Stocks: Teva, National Presto, NCI

TSC Ratings provides exclusive stock, ETF and mutual fund recommendations using proprietary tools. Our "safety first" approach aims to reduce risk while achieving total return performance.

BOSTON (TheStreet) -- The following fast-growth companies are projected to increase revenue and profit by at least 12% in the coming year and receive "buy" ratings from our proprietary quantitative model, which considers more than 60 factors. They are ordered by their potential to appreciate.

Teva Pharmaceuticals(TEVA Quote) is an Israeli company that develops and markets a range of generic and branded pharmaceuticals, biogenerics and active pharmaceutical ingredients.

The numbers: First-quarter revenue increased 22% to $3.1 billion as net income surged 225% to $451 million and earnings per share climbed 183% to 51 cents. The operating margin declined to 18% and the net margin increased to 14%. The company has conservative leverage, as reflected by a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.5. But a quick ratio of 0.8 indicates a less-than-ideal liquidity position.

The stock: Teva is up 18% in 2009, outperforming the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500. The stock trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 48, indicating a significant premium to its peers, and offers a modest 1.2% dividend yield.

National Presto Industries(NPK Quote) makes small appliances, and defense and absorbent products.

The numbers: First-quarter revenue increased 40% to $108 million as earnings ascended 74% to $11 million, or $1.58 per share. The operating margin improved to 14% and the net margin climbed to 10%. National Presto has no debt or interest expenses and abundant cash reserves, as reflected by a quick ratio of 3.6.

The stock: National Presto is down 1% in 2009, underperforming the Dow and S&P 500. The stock trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 11 and offers an attractive 6% dividend yield.