Newell Company (A)

Newell Co.’s overall strategy of acquiring, manufacturing, and marketing a broad line of branded staple consumer products to national mass merchandisers had been highly profitable, as had its ongoing investments in market-leading information technology. Newell’s success led to analyst expectations of continued 15 to 18 percent earnings growth. However, looking to 1995 and beyond, Newell’s management team was concerned about how to fulfill those expectations.