(RBC) - Over the past 60 days, profit forecasts for this quarter have risen 20.9%

Regal Beloit Corporation (RBC), first highlighted as a Growth and Income stock on Feb 28, exceeded analysts' earnings expectations for the past six quarters by an average margin of 6.2%. Consensus estimates have been trending higher for this Zacks #1 Rank stock. RBC has a current dividend yield of 1.3% and recently declared its 185th consecutive dividend. Full Analysis Regal Beloit Corporation is a global manufacturer of commercial and industrial electric motors, electric generators and controls and mechanical motion control products, as well as heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) motors. RBC's manufacturing and service facilities are located in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia. RBC was first presented as a Growth & Income pick on Feb 28. In the two quarters that have since elapsed, the company topped the Street's earnings estimate by an average margin of 7.2%. Furthermore, consensus estimates have been trending higher. This combination has enabled the company to hang on to the coveted status of a Zacks #1 Rank stock. One would have to go all the way back to the third quarter of 2003 to find a quarter in which RBC failed to meet or exceed analysts' earnings expectations. The company surprised to the upside for the past six quarters. Earnings per share grew 23.2% over the past five years. On Jul 27, the company reported second-quarter profits of 99 cents per share, beating the Street by 5.3% and producing a 59.7% year-over-year improvement. Revenues increased 18.0% to $435.3 million from $368.8 million in the second quarter of 2005. Sales in RBC's electrical segment experienced a 20.5% jump to $382.2 million, boosted by its Sinya motor business acquired during the quarter. Chairman and CEO Henry W. Knueppel stated, “The second quarter was a very active and positive quarter for the company. The sales environment was strong in almost all of our end markets during the quarter and our view remains positive into the future.” Over the past 60 days, profit forecasts for this quarter have risen 20.9% to 81 cents. For the full year of 2006, the consensus estimate increased 6.5% to $3.13 over the same period of time. Five analysts upped their estimates for this quarter while six did so for the full year. The Board of Directors recently declared a quarterly cash dividend of 14 cents per share. The dividend is payable on Oct 16, to shareholders of record as of Sep 29. The company has stuck to its dividend policy, having distributed 185 consecutive dividends. RBC is currently yielding 1.3%. Note: The Zacks Rank is a very sensitive indicator that can change frequently for an individual stock. This important indicator is updated daily on Zacks.com and is available to Zacks Premium subscribers. As such, it is prudent to check the site for the latest Zacks Rank on the stocks highlighted in this section. Simply click the link for the stock or enter the symbol in the ticker entry box in the upper left hand corner of the web site. Content Courtesy: Zacks Investment Research #1 Ranked Stocks Highlight Archive To truly take advantage of the Zacks Rank, you need to first understand how it works. That is why we created the free special report: Zacks Rank Guide: Harnessing the Power of Earnings Estimate Revisions. | Blog Home| VitalStocks Home