Otter Tail Corp (NASDAQ:OTTR)

md3kds (37.93) Submitted: 9/17/2006 8:41:33 PM : Start Price: $23.19 OTTR Score: -15.21

water power, real estate power, tree power, money money money, no pollution,
making money all over the world from its quiet base in canada, very well connected

JohnyRay (78.08) Submitted: 9/11/2006 12:51:16 AM : Start Price: $22.95 OTTR Score: -16.31

Steady growth, good management, nice dividend.

zoiebelle (24.18) Submitted: 9/6/2006 8:34:44 PM : Start Price: $22.82 OTTR Score: -15.76

Major provider of nuclear power in area of growing energy demand. Recognition that this is green, very reliable and safe slowly coming. Key is getting next plant(s) going earning the government incentive award.

redpointMK (84.95) Submitted: 9/2/2006 4:42:02 AM : Start Price: $22.49 OTTR Score: -14.56

Sleepy and strange. Diversified, with a healthy dividend.

iluvmy8gkids (34.50) Submitted: 8/30/2006 6:43:26 PM : Start Price: $23.17 OTTR Score: +16.26

I own it, and like the div with its potential to become a "discovered" stock. But when it will become discovered, I haven't a clue.

bluedogpoker (< 20) Submitted: 8/26/2006 1:02:25 AM : Start Price: $22.49 OTTR Score: -14.56

I gotta believe this little Minnesota gem will start rewarding its shareholders. Maybe not this year but in five, we should be up considerably and in the meantime just collect the 4%.

ldron7 (67.93) Submitted: 8/20/2006 12:20:55 AM : Start Price: $22.56 OTTR Score: -14.51

good company with steady growth

tatsumaki4ryu (< 20) Submitted: 8/19/2006 3:39:35 PM : Start Price: $22.56 OTTR Score: +14.51

The comparisons to Berkshire Hathaway and Buffett are as cute as the otter.Unfortunately the bulls seem to be as financially knowledgable as....well....an otter.

- A reasonable PE of less than 16 is undercut by the estimated 5 year annual growth rate of 4.5% Which might be optimistic as it has grown at a NEGATIVE 0.1% the past 5 years annually. The PEG is over 3.

- The company has NO cash. As in zero. But it does have more than $319 million in debt. I thought Fools liked that in reverse.

-Yahoo says insiders own about 1% of the company. I could understand this low percentage if this was a massive global conglomerate. But it's a small-cap.

- It pays a nice dividend sure. But the payout ratio is 60%. Can it raise the dividend much more. What if bad times are ahead? Will the dividend be slashed?

The comparisons to Buffett just seem to be completely unwarranted. Investors in this stock are more likely to get rich by opening shellfish like the otter and hoping thereare pearls inside. And yes I had to end with a terrible otter analogy:)

XTMFJordan (75.84) Submitted: 6/20/2006 10:11:21 PM : Start Price: $20.31 OTTR Score: -8.07

Who couldn't love a company with an Otter for a mascot?

Well, there is a lot more here than a cute aquatic mammal to like.

Here is a company which picked up Warren Buffett's business model from BRKA/B and is executing it with a vengence. Where Warren is trying to get into the utilitity business OTTR started here and is building a great portfolio.

Because of its size, OTTR doesn't need to go for the huge deals (unlike BRKA/B) to make things happen. A $20 million revenue company fits quite well in the OTTR portfolio.

So, we have a company with stable, growing cash flows; in a bunch of boring industries; and located two to three flights away from the centers of power. How can we lose?