Top International Companies To Buy Right Now

Margins matter. The more Robert Half International (NYSE: RHI  ) keeps of each buck it earns in revenue, the more money it has to invest in growth, fund new strategic plans, or (gasp!) distribute to shareholders. Healthy margins often separate pretenders from the best stocks in the market. That's why we check up on margins at least once a quarter in this series. I'm looking for the absolute numbers, so I can compare them to current and potential competitors, and any trend that may tell me how strong Robert Half International's competitive position could be.

Here's the current margin snapshot for Robert Half International over the trailing 12 months: Gross margin is 40.1%, while operating margin is 8.8% and net margin is 5.1%.

Unfortunately, a look at the most recent numbers doesn't tell us much about where Robert Half International has been, or where it's going. A company with rising gross and operating margins often fuels its growth by increasing demand for its products. If it sells more units while keeping costs in check, its profitability increases. Conversely, a company with gross margins that inch downward over time is often losing out to competition, and possibly engaging in a race to the bottom on prices. If it can't make up for this problem by cutting costs -- and most companies can't -- then both the business and its shares face a decidedly bleak outlook.

Top International Companies To Buy Right Now: CSP Inc.(CSPI)

CSP Inc. engages in the development and marketing of information technology (IT) integration solutions and high-performance cluster computer systems to industrial, commercial, and defense customers worldwide. The company operates in two segments: Systems, and Service and System Integration. The Systems segment designs and manufactures specialty, high-performance computer signal processing systems for the aerospace and defense markets. These systems are used on land, and in airborne and shipboard platforms for high-speed digital signal processing in radar, sonar, and surveillance applications. The Service and System Integration segment consists of the computer maintenance and integration services, and third-party computer hardware and software value added reseller businesses. It also provides professional IT consulting services, including maintenance and technical support; implementation, integration, configuration, and installation services; enterprise security intrusion p revention, network access control, and unified threat management services; IT security compliance services; custom software applications and solutions development and support; and monitoring, reporting, and management of alerts for the resolution and preventive general IT and IT security support tasks. This segment offers its solutions and services for IT environments, including storage and servers, unified communications solutions, IT security solutions, and consulting services. The company markets its products and services through direct sales force, distributors, and resellers. CSP Inc. was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Billerica, Massachusetts.

Top International Companies To Buy Right Now: Whitbread Holdings(WTB.L)

Whitbread PLC operates hotels, restaurants, and coffee shops in the United Kingdom and internationally. It owns and operates 590 hotels with approximately 43,219 rooms in the United Kingdom and 5 hotels with approximately 1,076 rooms internationally under the Premier Inn brand name; and 379 restaurants under the Beefeater Grill, Table Table, Brewers Fayre, and Taybarns brand names, as well as operates 1,217 coffee shops in the United Kingdom and 654 coffee shops internationally under the Costa Coffee brand name. The company also operates roasters and facing espresso based coffee vending machines; and involves in wholesale of coffee beans. Whitbread PLC was founded in 1742 and is based in Dunstable, the United Kingdom.

Hot Low Price Companies To Own For 2014: Strike Resources Ltd(SRK.AX)

Strike Resources Ltd. engages in the exploration and evaluation of iron ore projects in Peru. The company primarily holds a 56% interests in Apurimac Iron Ore project that comprises 72 concessions covering approximately 59,000 hectares located in the Apurimac district, Peru; and a 56% interests in Cusco Iron Ore project, which consists of approximately 22 concessions covering approximately 18,000 hectares located in Cusco district, Peru. It also owns a 100% interests in Berau Thermal Coal project that comprises 5,000 hectares in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. The company was formerly known as Fast Scout Limited and changed its name to Strike Resources Ltd. in January 2006. Strike Resources Ltd. is headquartered in Perth, Australia.

Top International Companies To Buy Right Now: Diageo(DGE.L)

Diageo plc engages in producing, distilling, brewing, bottling, packaging, distributing, developing, and marketing spirits, beer, and wine products worldwide. It offers a range of brands, including Johnnie Walker scotch whiskies, Smirnoff vodka and Smirnoff ready to drink products, Baileys Original Irish Cream liqueur, Crown Royal Canadian whisky, Captain Morgan rum and rum based products, Jose Cuervo tequila, JeB scotch whisky, Buchanan?s scotch whisky, Windsor Premier scotch whisky, Ketel One vodka, Ciroc vodka, Tanqueray gin, Bushmills Irish whiskey, and Guinness stout. The company also provides other spirits brands that comprise Gordon?s gin and vodka, Old Parr scotch whisky, Bell?s scotch whisky, The Classic Malts scotch whiskies, Seagram?s 7 Crown whiskey and Seagram?s VO whisky, Cacique rum, White Horse scotch whisky, Don Julio tequila, and Bundaberg rum. In addition, it offers beer under various brands, such as Malta Guinness non-alcoholic malt, Harp lager, Tu sker lager, Smithwick?s ale, Senator lager, and Red Stripe lager; and wine under a range of brands, including Blossom Hill, Sterling Vineyards, Beaulieu Vineyard, Navarro Correas, Acacia Vineyard, Rosenblum Cellars, Piat d?Or, Chalone Vineyard, and Santa Rita. Further, Diageo plc owns the distribution rights for the Jose Cuervo tequila brands in North America and internationally. The company was founded in 1886 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

Top International Companies To Buy Right Now: LSB Financial Corp.(LSBI)

LSB Financial Corp. operates as the holding company for Lafayette Savings Bank, FSB that provides a range of banking and financial services to individual and corporate customers primarily in Indiana. Its deposit products include statement savings accounts, money market accounts, NOW accounts, and certificate accounts. Its loan products portfolio comprises mortgage loans for the purpose of purchasing, constructing, or refinancing owner-occupied one-to four-family residential real estate; non-owner occupied one-to four-family residential, multi-family and land development, and commercial real estate loans; commercial business loans consisting of secured and unsecured lines of credit and loans secured by small business equipment and vehicles; and consumer loans, including home equity, direct automobile, home improvement, deposit account, and other secured/unsecured loans for household and personal purposes. It serves customers in the Tippecanoe County and its surrounding coun ties through five retail banking offices. The company was founded in 1869 and is based in Lafayette, Indiana.

Top International Companies To Buy Right Now: Polaris Industries Inc. (PII)

Polaris Industries Inc. designs, engineers, and manufactures off-road vehicles. It offers all terrain vehicles and side-by-side vehicles for recreational and utility use; snowmobiles; and on-road vehicles, including motorcycles and low emission vehicles. The company also provides replacement parts and accessories, including winches, bumper/brushguards, plows, racks, mowers, tires, pull-behinds, cabs, cargo box accessories, tracks, and oil for off-road vehicles; covers, traction products, reverse kits, electric starters, tracks, bags, windshields, oil, and lubricants for snowmobiles; and saddle bags, handlebars, backrests, exhaust, windshields, seats, oil, and various chrome accessories for motorcycles. Polaris Industries sells its products through dealers and distributors primarily under the RANGER, RANGER RZR, RANGER Crew, Victory Vision, Victory Cross Roads, Polaris RUSH, and Cross Country trade marks. In addition, it markets helmets, jackets, bibs and pants, leathers, a nd hats through dealers and distributors, as well as online under the Polaris brand name. The company principally operates in the United States and Canada. Polaris Industries Inc. was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Medina, Minnesota.