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SPOTLIGHT

Though trading near its 52-week high at the end of June, SPX had one of the lowest price/earnings ratios of Tar Heel stocks.

Highest price/earnings ratios P/E 6/24/05 52-week Company ratio (3) price range Tanger Factory Outlet Centers 237.4 $26.56 $18.95-27.81 MedCath 169.5 26.80 14.69-30.65 TriPath Imaging 138.5 8.53 6.15-9.52 Highwoods Properties 127.9 29.04 22.62-30.54 SpectraSite 121.3 72.00 40.32-72.27 Charles & Colvard 92.9 21.25 5.37-22.43 Salix Pharmaceuticals 58.0 17.45 13.85-24.38 Red Hat 53.4 12.43 10.37-23.10 Gateway Financial Holdings 46.1 18.16 12.00-20.78 Waccamaw Bankshares 35.2 18.48 13.13-27.49 Lowest price/earnings ratios Insteel Industries 3.3 $11.90 $5.85-21.89 SPX 5.4 44.75 32.46-47.90 Nucor 5.6 46.50 36.27-65.53 Wellco Enterprises 8.1 12.60 11.70-21.24 Investors Title 9.4 35.94 28.01-47.00 Ingles Markets 10.6 13.50 10.63-13.74 Sonic Automotive 11.5 21.28 17.94-25.43 Bank of America 11.9 46.75 41.70-47.47 CommScope 11.9 17.14 13.83-22.65 Jefferson-Pilot 12.0 50.35 46.00-52.73 3-month 1-year 52-week Company change (4) change range Top 10 large-cap stocks Cree 24.1% 20.7% $17.88-42.44 Red Hat 18.8 (44.1) 10.37-23.10 SpectraSite 18.7 62.9 40.32-72.27 CommScope 17.3 (13.7) 13.83-22.65 Martin Marietta Materials 16.9 47.3 41.27-68.02 Tanger Factory Outlet Centers 14.1 33.8 18.95-27.81 The Pantry 12.8 76.5 18.49-40.96 Lance 9.9 11.6 13.65-19.53 Ruddick 8.5 14.8 18.56-26.25 Laboratory Corp. of America 8.3 21.1 36.70-51.25 Top 10 small-cap stocks Charles & Colvard 76.4% 251.8% $5.37-22.43 Pozen 56.3 18.3 3.50-10.00 CT Communications 25.8 (8.7) 9.90-15.09 First South...