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"Conventional wisdom would have investors flee small-cap stocks when theeconomy takes a tumble. Big companies are safer bets, the thinking goes. Maybenot right now with meltdowns at AIG, Lehman Brothers, and Wachovia," saidForbes' editors in announcing the list. "With that in mind, we identified thestrongest small public outfits in a very tough time for our list of the 200Best Small Companies in America. We axed companies with fishy accounting orserious legal entanglements. Eighty-three of last year's members didn't makethe cut this year."
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To qualify for the list, companies must have sales between $5 million and$750 million and a minimum stock price of $5 as of Sept. 29. The ranking isbased on return on equity, sales growth and profit growth over the past 12months and also over five years.
"We are pleased any time we receive independent recognition of Neogen'soutstanding performance, and especially when it comes from a source as trustedas Forbes," said Lon Bohannon, Neogen's president. "In our opinion, this listrepresents a valuable source of information for the investment community tohelp identify companies that are succeeding in a very difficult economicenvironment."
Neogen's success has also led to increased research coverage of thecompany. Joining Hilliard Lyons, Roth Capital Partners, and StonegateSecurities, are Stephens Inc. Investment Bankers and Craig-Hallum CapitalGroup. Stephens and Craig-Hallum have each recently initiated coverage ofNeogen with a "buy" recommendation.
-- Stephens Inc. (www.stephens.com ) is a full service, privately ownedinvestment bank headquartered in Little Rock, Ark., with offices in key U.S.markets and London.
-- Craig-Hallum (www.craig-hallum.com ) is a Minneapolis-basedinstitutional research, trading and investment banking firm that specializesin small-to-mid cap public companies that represent investment opportunitiesfor its institutional clients.
Neogen Corporation develops and markets products dedicated to food andanimal safety. The company's Food Safety Division markets dehydrated culturemedia, and diagnostic test kits to detect foodborne bacteria, natural toxins,genetic modifications, food allergens, drug residues, plant diseases andsanitation concerns. Neogen's Animal Safety Division markets a complete lineof diagnostics, veterinary instruments, veterinary pharmaceuticals,nutritional supplements, disinfectants, and rodenticides.
SOURCE Neogen Corporation
