Strong economy keeps fueling Milwaukee's large companies.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

The Milwaukee area's top public companies ended 1999 on a strong note.

Most of the 25 largest public firms in the area continued to post healthy earnings gains as the U.S. economy continued its impressive expansion. Per-share profits rose at 17 out of the top 25, and 15 firms reported double-digit gains, according to First Gall/Thomson Financial, which tracks analyst estimates.

"More of the same," said Tim Reiland, an analyst and managing director at Tucker Cleary, a Milwaukee investment bank.

Indeed, many area firms continued an earnings streak fueled by a combination of strong sales growth and efficiency improvements. A lot of investors have become so accustomed to double-digit profit gains that they take them for granted, Reiland said.

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