Inflation and recession threats make it difficult to choose between competing demands on one-off windfalls. Most Americans have built long lists of things to do with their stimulus checks way in advance of actual credits in bank accounts. The Fed may want you to spend the cash on goods to support jobs and taxes, but judicious investments in stocks will take your personal financial planning further.

One company you will want to look at is based in Waukegan, IL. It is in the business of electrical wires and cables. The latter are ubiquitous in modern offices, factories, and homes. The company does business all over the industrial, commercial, and residential segment of North America. The product offering is broad, so customers can choose the company as a single-window solution for all wire and cable needs. The company has a client list of over nine thousand specialty distributors and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).

Most Recent Quarter profits have risen 15%. The management has three key initiatives in motion to deal with key raw material scarcity and cost inflation pressures. Firstly, the company has been able to win valuable selling price increases for its product range. Second, a host of cost-effectiveness measures are in place to combat inflation. Finally, strategic acquisitions have strengthened the company’s competitive abilities in the copper segment.

The stock price by the middle of May 2008 was approximately half-way between the range of the 52-week high and low. The Price to Earnings Ratio over the past four quarters, which has been nearly 23 for the Communications Equipment Industry, has been less than 14 for this stock.

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