Two Small-Caps for These Turbulent Times

3Com

3Com (COMS) is a leading provider of secure, converged voice and data networking solutions for enterprises of all sizes.

3Com offers a broad line of innovative products backed by world class sales, service and support, which excel at delivering business value for its customers. Through its TippingPoint division, 3Com is a leading provider of network-based intrusion prevention systems that deliver in-depth application protection, infrastructure protection, and performance protection.

3Com's mission is to provide customers worldwide with high-quality, low-cost networking infrastructure solutions that enable the convergence of applications and emerging technologies into the network.

In 2007, 3Com extended its leadership position in the networking industry by acquiring 100 percent ownership of its former China-based joint venture, H3C Technologies Co., Limited (H3C). With the addition of H3C, 3Com has annual revenue of $1.3 billion and more than 6,000 employees in over 40 countries.

Additionally, 3Com has more than 1,400 U.S. and nearly 180 Chinese issued patents, more than 1050 pending Chinese applications as well as pending applications for 35 separate inventions outside of China that cover a wide range of networking technologies.

COMS Investor Highlights

• Revenue in the first quarter was $342.7 million compared to revenue of $319.4 million in the same period last year.
• Net income in the first quarter was $79.8 million, or $0.20 per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $18.7 million, or $0.05 per share, in the first quarter of last year.
• In the first quarter, 3Com generated $39.3 million in cash from operations. 3Com's cash and cash equivalents balance at August 29, 2008, was $541.4 million.
• Trades at a Price/Book of 0.85 and a Price/Sales of 0.65.

Financials Approximate as of September 23, 2008

• Market Cap: 847M
• Outstanding Shares: 405.3M 52
• Low / High: $1.76 / $5.11
• Price: $2.09
• Ticker: COMS

Darling International

Darling International (DAR) is the largest publicly traded, food processing by-products recycling company in the United States.

The Company recycles used restaurant cooking oil and by-products from the beef, pork and poultry processing industries into useable products such as tallow, feed-grade fats, meat and bone meal, and hides.

The Company operates in two segments: Rendering and Restaurant Services. The Rendering segment engages in the collection and processing of animal by-products, including hides, from butcher shops, grocery stores, food service industry, and meat and poultry processors.

It converts these products principally into useable oils and proteins utilized by the agricultural, leather, and oleo-chemical industries.

The Restaurant Services segment is involved in the collection of used cooking oils from food service establishments and recycling them into similar products, such as high-energy animal feed ingredients and industrial oils. It also provides grease trap collection services and sells equipment to restaurants.

DAR Investor Highlights

• Reported record second quarter net income of $24.1 million, or $0.29 per share for the quarter ending June 28, 2008.
• Reported record income of $45.5 million, or $0.55 per share, for the six months ended June 28, 2008.
• For the second quarter of 2008, the Company reported net sales of $220.9 million as compared to $159.4 million for the second quarter of 2007.
• For the six months ended June 28, 2008, the Company reported net sales of $422.8 million as compared to $298.0 million for the 2007 comparable period.
• For the six months ended June 28, 2008, the Company reported net income of $45.5 million, or $0.55 per share, as compared to $19.0 million, or $0.23 per share, for the 2007 comparable period.
• Recently announced that it has completed its acquisition of substantially all of the assets of API Recycling's used cooking oil collection business. API Recycling is a division of American Proteins, Inc., and it operated three facilities in the state of Georgia servicing surrounding states.

Financials Approximate as of September 23, 2008

• Market Cap: 946M
• Outstanding Shares: 81.9M 52
• Low / High: $8.41 / $17.52
• Price: $11.55
• Ticker: DAR