Bentley added to ‘Forbes’ list

Bentley Pharmaceutical is the only New Hampshire company named to Forbes magazine’s list of the “Best Small Companies.”
Bentley, an Exeter-based developer of generic drugs, is a newcomer to the list, ranking 76th. But it’s ranked ninth in earnings-per-share growth over the last five years growth, reporting a 123 percent gain over the period. It is 17th in share growth over five years, with a 41 percent increase. In the last 12 months the company’s earnings per share increased by 48 percent, and its sales increased by 26 percent.
Bentley attributes its growth to the interest governments, particularly in Europe, have shown in generic drugs.
“Governments are trying to provide health-care cost to their citizens as cost-effectively as possible,” said CFO Michael Price. “In addition a lot of patent expirations for big blockbuster products are coming up in the near future.”
Fortune magazine has listed Bentley as one of the fastest-growing company for the last two years. However, the Forbes list concentrates on small companies whose revenue must be between $5 million and $750 million, with net profit margins greater than 5 percent, and share prices above $5 as of Sept. 29. Financial institutions, utilities and REITs are excluded from the list.
Besides growth, the Forbes list also considers return on investments, return on equity, sales, profits, market data, income and a board of directors rating. A company can be knocked off the list if there is even a hint of trouble, such as an SEC investigation or accounting woes. – BOB SANDERS