Headquartered in Hanford, California, Thresher Industries is a provider of aluminum and metal matrix composite alloy castings. The Company started as a perm-mold casting enterprise, but later expanded their manufacturing capabilities to include low pressure, high pressure, and Nautilus Core manufacturing. The Nautilus Core manufacturing is a unique method of producing cores for use in aluminum and magnesium casting. The core is easily removable through high-pressure steam or water, is biodegradable, and can be located in areas not viable for sand or foam core.

Thresher Industries offers full engineering, metallurgical, and sales support along with designs and prototype development. The Company prides themselves on offering rapid response to customer needs as well as regional customer support from their sales and engineering team members. Thresher Industries has manufacturing sites near their diverse markets. Along with their full engineering services, they have a group of fully audited outside service providers for x-ray, machining,

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American Science & Engineering (ASEI) shares received a nice boost thanks to the company's strong second quarter. Lately, the company has seen analysts hike estimates, while its shares trade well ahead of the Dow Jones ($DJI), S&P 500 (SPX) and NASDAQ Composite (COMP).

Company Description

American Science and Engineering, Inc. supplies innovative X-ray inspection systems. With 50 years of experience in developing advanced X-ray security systems, the company's product line utilizes a combination of technologies, including patented Z Backscatter technology, Radioactive Threat Detection (RTD), high energy transmission and dual energy transmission X-ray.

The company's complete range of products include cargo inspection systems for port and border security, baggage screening systems for facility and aviation security, and personnel and passenger screening systems.

ASEI's systems protect high-threat facilities and help combat terrorism and trade fraud, drug smuggling, weapon smuggling, and illegal immigration and people smuggling.

The company's customers include leading

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18 banks have gone under so far this year. But how do you know if yours will be next? Keith Fitz-Gerald says the IRA Bank Industry Stress Index can be used like a financial X-ray to see what’s really going on in the banking sector.

This from Money Morning:

When federal banking regulators last week seized the Houston-based Franklin Bank SSB (FBTX), it became the 18th bank failure this year amid the ongoing credit crisis. With total assets of $5.1 billion and total deposits of $3.7 billion, Franklin wasn’t the largest bank failure this year – that honor belongs to IndyMac Bancorp Inc. (OTC: IDMCQ), which had more than $30 billion in estimated assets when it was seized by U.S. banking regulators in July. At the time, IndyMac was also the third-largest bank failure in U.S. history, reaching all the way back to 1934, U.S.

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18 banks have gone under so far this year. But how do you know if yours will be next? Keith Fitz-Gerald says the IRA Bank Industry Stress Index can be used like a financial X-ray to see what’s really going on in the banking sector.

This from Money Morning:

When federal banking regulators last week seized the Houston-based Franklin Bank SSB (FBTX), it became the 18th bank failure this year amid the ongoing credit crisis. With total assets of $5.1 billion and total deposits of $3.7 billion, Franklin wasn’t the largest bank failure this year – that honor belongs to IndyMac Bancorp Inc. (OTC: IDMCQ), which had more than $30 billion in estimated assets when it was seized by U.S. banking regulators in July. At the time, IndyMac was also the third-largest bank failure in U.S. history, reaching all the way back to 1934, U.S.

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Imaging3, Inc. (IMGG.OB), a medical device manufacturer and distributor, has developed a breakthrough technology that utilizes high-resolution photo-flouroscopy to produce three-dimensional medical diagnostic images. With its ability to produce real-time 3D images, Dominion™ can be used to improve any medical procedure where multiple frame references are required to perform surgery on or in the human body.

The Dominion’s patented technology can be applied to a multitude of medical areas including trauma, cardiology, pediatrics, orthopedics, vascular, neuro-vascular, and sports medicine. The real-time 3D images will allow surgeons to plan for less invasive and more precise procedures, which will reduce a patient’s risk and recovery time. In addition to 3D real-time flouroscopic imaging, the Dominion can also emulate other imaging technology, like a CT scan. Along with its high-resolution imaging capabilities, the Dominion is a mobile unit that can fit that is powered by a standard wall outlet and will fit through

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JMAR Technologies is a late-stage technology company specializing in the development and early commercialization of detection and laser-based technologies for nano-scale imaging, chemical and biological analysis, and fabrication. The company’s two biggest product lines are the BioSentry system, a continuous, on-line, real-time monitoring system for detecting and classifying harmful micro-organisms in water; and the BriteLight laser, a diode-pumped, modular, solid-state laser product that produces soft x-rays through laser-produced plasma.

The BriteLight laser product line is also used to provide laser sources for various applications, including spectrochemical analysis, nano-scale fabrication, microscopy, and soft x-ray source generation. JMAR also manufactures the DoublePulse laser, which is used by military and law enforcement personnel for remote detection of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) substances on roadsides, in military settings and at crime scenes. JMAR’s customers include governments, federal agencies such as Homeland Security, municipal utilities and pharmaceutical companies.

JMAR products are sold in

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One of Zacks.comÂ’s several trading services, the Breakout Trader, recently received a boost in the form of a 19% return on a stock that was in the portfolio for a holding period that was a couple days short of just one month. The stock was American Science & Engineering ( ASEI), and its share price is still rising.

Impressed by American Science & EngineeringÂ’s results, I set out to find similar plays, making sure the fundamentals were strong. After browsing several companies, it became evident that my screening strategy should be narrowed down to companies that, like ASEI, provide big ticket items serving industrial markets.

With the use of Research Wizard, I found AZZ incorporated (AZZ) and Teledyne Technologies, Inc. (TDY). I also discovered that all three companies are makers of industrial electronic equipment or components, bringing to mind the only memorable part of the

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Any time is appropriate for questioning value deliveries to customers. Corporations run by former sales people are especially vulnerable to exaggerated claims of customer loyalty. Some stock investors buy quarterly management stories about why market shares have grown faster than profits. However, stock exchange veterans prefer to see selling price increases as marks of customer preferences, above all else.

It is true that some marketing investments require more than a year to realize full returns. However, these costs invariably appear below the Gross Margin line. Hence, trends in this ratio speak volumes about the basic health of any stock. Inflation generally affects an entire industry, if not the whole sector uniformly, therefore benchmarking a stock against Gross Margins earned by direct competitors gives an X-Ray view of the state of a business.

Competition and Gross Margins are inversely related. No professional would introduce a new brand with additional customer benefits, at a

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