Caesarstone Sdot-Yam Ltd (CSTE)

[Steponit]

I own a fair amount of CSTE stock. I think it's a pretty good steadily growing company, and a really well-run efficient company. They are one of the biggest producers in the world of engineered quartz countertop and floor surfaces. They sell a lot to manufacturers of new houses, and you see it everywhere as countertop and flooring surfaces in places like office buildings, malls, casinos, etc.

It's made of mainly quartz, which is very durable and scratch resistant, and has the look and solid feel of natural stone like granite or marble, but is man-made so it is cheaper to manufacture, and cheaper and easier to cut or mold into specific shapes and sizes, and it's also more uniform in quality and consistent from batch to batch, unlike natural stone which can have cracks or natural imperfections.

The only issue I see with CSTE is that it sometimes fluctuates with news relating to the Middle East, since CSTE is located in Israel. Sometimes if there is trouble stirring in the middle east, the price of CSTE can drop suddenly, but then it always corrects itself back up again a day or two later. Usually on those little dips is a great time to buy some shares.