3 Stocks Pushing The Consumer Goods Sector Higher

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model

One out of the three major indices are trading lower today with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) trading up 24 points (0.2%) at 14,421 as of Monday, March 11, 2013, 12:45 PM ET. The NYSE advances/declines ratio sits at 1,375 issues advancing vs. 1,531 declining with 142 unchanged.

The Consumer Goods sector currently sits up 0.4% versus the S&P 500, which is up 0.1%. Top gainers within the sector include Ford Motor (F), up 1.8%, Sony Corporation (SNE), up 1.3%, Coach (COH), up 1.4%, Altria Group (MO), up 0.7% and General Motors (GM), up 0.8%. On the negative front, top decliners within the sector include Tupperware Brands Corporation (TUP), down 3.8%, BRF - Brasil Foods (BRFS), down 3.8%, Koninklijke Philips Electronics (PHG), down 1.6%, Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company S.A (CCH), down 1.5% and Xerox Corporation (XRX), down 1.5%.

TheStreet Ratings group would like to highlight 3 stocks pushing the sector higher today:

3. Canon (CAJ) is one of the companies pushing the Consumer Goods sector higher today. As of noon trading, Canon is up $1.09 (3.0%) to $36.82 on average volume Thus far, 477,395 shares of Canon exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 761,400 shares. The stock has ranged in price between $36.42-$36.89 after having opened the day at $36.43 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $35.73.

Canon Inc. engages in the manufacture and sale of network digital multifunction devices (MFDs), plain paper copying machines, laser printers, inkjet printers, cameras, and lithography equipment worldwide. Canon has a market cap of $41.5 billion and is part of the consumer durables industry. The company has a P/E ratio of 14.7, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are down 8.9% year to date as of the close of trading on Friday. Currently there is 1 analyst that rates Canon a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and 1 rates it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Canon as a hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, expanding profit margins and reasonable valuation levels. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including a generally disappointing performance in the stock itself, feeble growth in the company's earnings per share and deteriorating net income. Get the full Canon Ratings Report now.

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