Playing the stocks

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Of the four locally based public companies that fall under the construction-related or real estate categories, Harsco would appear to have the most short-term upside.

The stock closed at $16 on Tuesday, which was up 2.5 percent from the previous day. It has been trading near 52-week lows recently.

That range has been $14.50 to $27.77, according to Yahoo Finance.

Harsco, a diversified, worldwide industrial services company, this week acquired a manufacturer of safety systems for the transportation industry.

For the year, the stock is down about 14 percent, having closed at $18.60 on Jan. 2, according to Yahoo Finance. On March 3, 2014, the stock was trading at $22.57.

Harsco had a market capitalization — the share price times the number of shares outstanding — of $1.29 billion. It pays about a 5 percent dividend yield and the one-year target price is $20 per share.

Maybe the momentum is there to turn a little profit on Harsco, if you want to invest in locally based companies. Harsco trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol HSC.

Others

• Hersha Hospitality Trust, a real estate investment trust that owns upscale hotels in major metropolitan markets, closed at $6.76 on Tuesday. A year ago, the stock was $5.68, but on Jan. 2 of this year it was $7.07. Hersha has pulled back from 52-week highs at the end of 2014. The stock touched $7.49 in December before retreating a bit. Still, the REIT pays a 4.2 percent yield and has a one-year target price of $7.38, according to Yahoo Finance. Hersha’s market cap is $1.34 billion. Hersha, which has corporate offices in Harrisburg and Philadelphia, trades on the NYSE under the ticker symbol HT.
• Manor Township-based Armstrong World Industries Inc., which just announced it was spinning off its flooring business, closed at $55.90 on Tuesday. The stock was at $53.44 a year ago and $50.56 at close on Jan. 2. Armstrong has a market cap of $3.08 billion and a one-year price target of $60.97, according to Yahoo Finance. It currently does not pay dividends. Armstrong trades on the NYSE under the ticker symbol AWI.
• Lancaster-based Burnham Holdings Inc., the manufacturer of boilers and related heating, ventilation and air-conditioning products, closed at $20.60 on Tuesday. The over-the-counter stock was at $19.75 a year ago and $19.50 at close on Jan. 2, according to Yahoo Finance. The company’s price-to-earnings ratio — defined as market price per share divided by annual earnings per share — was 10.90. The OTC stock trades under the ticker symbol BURCA.