Accenture, Covidien, Seagate and Other St. Patrick's Stock Picks

St. Patrick's Day is almost upon us. So here is a quick look at how the stocks of some companies headquartered in Ireland are faring, given the uncertain economic situation in Europe. Accenture's ACN share price is up more than 17% year to date, including a 9% surge in the past month. The Dublin-based global management consulting and business services company will be part of the S&P 100 as of March 16, and its market cap is $44.3 billion. It has an operating margin higher than the industry average and a return on equity of 71.5%. Its dividend yield is 2.2%. The stock has outperformed the S&P 500 and the Dow since the beginning of the year. See also: Accenture Remains a Top IT Pick for Morgan Stanley Cooper Industries CBE rose more than 7% in the past week and is now less than 6% below its 52-week high. This maker of electrical components and tools recently raised its dividend 7% and announced the acquisition of Fifth Light Technology. Its return on equity of 18.9% and the long-range EPS growth forecast is 13.8%. Its market cap is $10.1 billion. The stock has outperformed the likes of ABB ABB and General Electric GE over the past six months. Covidien's COV share price rose almost 5% in the past week to more than 20% higher than at the beginning of the year. The Dublin-based global health care products company recently announced plans for four new R&D facilities. Covidien has a market cap of $26.1 billion and a dividend yield of 1.7%. Its return on equity is 19.9%. Over the past six months, the stock has outperformed competitors Becton, Dickson BDX and Johnson & Johnson JNJ. See also: Should Investors Consider the Lone Irish ETF? CRH's CRH share price has risen more than 47% in the past six months, including a 7% increase in the past week. The construction materials producer also operates more than 700 stores throughout Europe. The Dublin-based company has a market cap is $15.4 billion. Its long-range EPS growth forecast is 20.4% and the P/E ratio is less than the industry average. Over the past six months, the stock has outperformed the broader markets. Ingersoll-Rand IR shares have rebounded from a recent pullback and are trading about 33% higher year to date. The Dublin-based company makes everything from Schlage locks to Trane air conditioners, and it posted better-than-expected earnings for the fourth quarter. It has a market cap of $12.0 billion and its dividend yield is 1.6%. Over the past six months, the stock has outperformed competitors such as Dover DOV and Gardner Denver GDI. See also: Ingersoll Rand Reaffirms 2012 Revenues Ryanair Holdings RYAAY is up more than 22% since the beginning of the year and has been trading near its 52-week high for the past month. The Dublin-based carrier posted better-than-expected revenues and EPS in the most recent quarter. The market cap is $9.9 billion, the long-term EPS growth forecast is 14.7% and the return on equity is 19.8%. Over the past six months, the stock has outperformed JetBlue JBLU and Southwest LUV. Seagate Technology STX is trading almost 69% higher than at the beginning of the year. Shares surged at the end of January when the hard drive maker said that its fiscal second-quarter net income more than tripled from a year earlier. The $12.3 billion market cap Dublin-based company has a dividend yield of 3.7%, and its return on equity is 29.3%. The stock has outperformed NetApp NTAP and Western Digital WDC over the past six months. See also: Seagate, PF Chang's and Other Top Nasdaq Stocks in February