Diesels Here...

Louis Navellier publishes three top-performing newsletters, Blue Chip Growth, Emerging Growth, and Quantum Growth. All three share a proprietary quantitative system, but differ in their focus from conservative to more aggressive holdings. Here's his top bet for 2005.

"My top pick for 2005 is Cummins (CMI NYSE), which is the world's leader in the manufacture of large diesel engines. The company's diesel engines also power school buses, medium-duty trucks, pickup trucks (primarily the Dodge Ram), and equipment for mining and construction. Cummins claims about one-third of the North American market for heavy-duty truck engines. The company also makes power generation products such as its Onan generator sets and Newage alternators. Its Fleetguard and Nelson filtration subsidiaries produce fuel filters and air filters for heavy-duty engines.

"The company's dramatic growth is being largely fueled by the fact that Cummins is building diesel power plants in China. As a result, Cummins is one of the safest ways to profit from the economic boom in China. The stock receives a fundamental grade of ‘A’ on my PortfolioGrader (see www.PortfolioGrader.com) because it ranks in the top 20% of sales growth, earnings stability, earnings momentum, operating margin expansion, analyst revisions, earnings surprises, return on equity, and cash flow. Only about one out of 300 stocks receive a Fundamental A grade on PortfolioGrader, which makes Cummins truly extraordinary."