Under the Radar: TreeHouse Has the Goods

"Under the Radar" is a daily feature that uncovers little-known companies worthy of investors' consideration. Check in at 5 every morning to find out about stocks that tend to beat their bigger brethren.

If we get stuck in sluggish economic growth over the next few quarters -- or even years -- discounters' stocks will remain appealing.

Consumer staples, or products that people need to live, demonstrated remarkable stability last year. But some analysts say investors will dump those stocks in favor of consumer-discretionary shares once Americans get more money in their pockets. That trend would favor companies such as Walt Disney(DIS Quote), Time Warner(TWX Quote), Nike(NKE Quote) and Target(TGT Quote).

The recession that followed a borrowing binge has prompted Americans to save at the fastest pace in 15 years, a report last week showed. The household savings rate jumped to 6.9% in May, compared with, incredibly, zero in April 2008. Thrifty consumers may help restrain economic growth through next year, some economists say. ...