Bullish on Beverly

It’s difficult to judge the reliability of postings on the Yahoo message boards for publicly held companies, but one recent missive got our attention. From a web site billed as “The Stock Market Advantage,” the message claims Beverly Enterprises Inc. is being considered for inclusion in a list of the 10 cheapest stocks in the United States.

Fort Smith-based Beverly Enterprises, the nation’s largest post-acute health care provider and owner/operator of nursing homes, is trading at something around $7 a share. But the 52-week high was close to $15.50, a peak the company’s stock hasn’t seen since last summer. It has traded as low as $4.31 a share.