Five Mid-Cap Stocks Ready to Break Out

BOSTON (TheStreet) -- Mid-cap stocks, lodged between bellwether blue-chips and fast-growth small companies, often go unnoticed. The following medium-sized companies are determined to garner attention in 2010 by beating their small- and large-cap peers.

5. Check Point Software Technologies(CHKP) designs Internet security programs.

The numbers: Fourth-quarter profit rose 27% to $110 million, or 51 cents a share, as revenue increased 25% to $272 million. Check Point's operating margin remained steady at 48%. The company holds $884 million of cash and no debt, indicating fiscal prudence.

The stock: Check Point returned 40% during the past year, beating the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 Index. The stock trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 19, a discount to software peers. Check Point doesn't pay dividends.