Monday, August 31, 2015

Alcoa Earnings Analysis

With the markets in a tailspin over events in China and Greece, I thought it would be good to get some commentary on the global industrial economy. The earnings call at aluminum and alumina producer Alcoa (NYSE:AA) is a great place to start. Its management always delivers solid guidance on its end markets, and what it says has direct relevance to industrial bellwethers General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) and United Technologies Corporation. Let's take a look at Alcoa's recent results and take a deeper dive into what's going on with the global economy.


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Sunday, August 30, 2015

Why FedEx Has Outperformed United Parcel Service

All great corporations have great men behind them who shape the management philosophy of the company, and there is no doubt who it is at FedEx Corporation (NYSE:FDX). Founder, Chairman, President and CEO Fred Smith created the company in 1971 and his influence can be directly seen in the ongoing operations of the company today. With this in mind, let's take a look at Smith's development of FedEx and why it may have led to the company outperforming its rivals in the last few years.


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Wednesday, August 26, 2015

McCormick & Company Earnings Analysis

The good news is spice-and-seasonings business McCormick & Company (NYSE:MKC) is achieving most of its objectives in 2015. The bad news is currency effects continue to erode its reported sales and profit generation. With this in mind, let's take a closer look at what is actually going on with its sales trends and earnings. The company reported Q2 results on July 1 and gave an updated 2015 outlook.


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MSC Industrial Earnings Analysis

The latest third-quarter results from MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM) confirmed the company's position as a potential recovery play, but it also underlined how difficult its end markets are at present. In short, it was a mixed bag of results. Let's take a closer look at the good and bad in the quarter.


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Friday, August 21, 2015

AZZ Incorporated Earnings Analysis

After a difficult 2014 in which the company underperformed the S&P 500 index by nearly 14%, AZZ (NYSE:AZZ) is ahead of the index by more than 8% on a year-to-date basis. Essentially, AZZ's management has addressed a number of issues that plagued the company last year, and the market is warming to its plan to expand its steel galvanizing operations. In this context, let's take a look at its recent first-quarter results and what they indicate for the company's prospects.


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Sunday, August 16, 2015

General Electric Company (GE) New Technologies

By now, most investors in General Electric Co. (NYSE:GE) will be aware of management's plans to shift the company toward generating 90% of its profits from industrial operations by 2018. Alongside this move, General Electric is also busy trying to generate orders for three key technologies. All three are within its core operations, and their success will help convince the market that CEO Jeff Immelt has put the company on the right track.


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Saturday, August 15, 2015

Best Stocks in Agriculture

Are you looking to buy into the idea that the agricultural sector is going to bottom out this year? If so, you would be in good company, because Warren Buffett has been buying stock in agricultural machinery giant Deere & Co. (NYSE:DE). But is that the best stock for individual investors? Which stock in the sector should you prefer, and why? Let's look at the leading candidates in the agricultural machinery sector and some of their key metrics for 2015 and 2016.


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Monday, August 10, 2015

Jack Welch and General Electric Company (GE)

Assessing the greatest business contribution Jack Welch has made to General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) is a worthy endeavor from an academic perspective, but what does it mean for contemporary investors? In reality, the company is vastly different from the one that Welch left in 2001, but there are still many conclusions from Welch's time that are relevant to the company today. Let's take a look at Welch's tenure and what it means to current investors in the stock


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Friday, August 7, 2015

3m Company Equity Analysis

3M Company (NYSE:MMM) is an exceptionally well-run business, but is it a great stock for your portfolio? It has industry-leading margins and productivity, but also a valuation to match. What it boils down to is whether you think the company can sustain the excellence of its execution. Let's take a closer look.


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Tuesday, August 4, 2015

General Electric Company Finds $1.8 Billion

Whisper it quietly but General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) just found $1.8 billion for investors. Essentially, the company now expects cost synergies from the intended integration of Alstom to produce $3 billion in annual cost savings by the fifth year, up from a previous target of $1.2 billion. With CEO Jeff Immelt outlining the details at the Electrical Products Group conference at the end of May, I thought it would be a good time to look at what he said, and why the news is so important for GE investors.


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Monday, August 3, 2015

What About United Parcel Service Inc Credit Rating?

On the same day that United Parcel Service Inc (NYSE:UPS) released its first-quarter earnings, Moody's changed its outlook on the company's debt to negative. It's never a good sign when a credit rating agency lowers its outlook on a company's debt, and investors in the stock might be concerned that the bond market knows something that the equity market doesn't. With that said, what are investors to make of Moody's move?


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Saturday, August 1, 2015

Commercial Construction Stocks to Buy in 2015

Since 2009, the global economic recovery has been uneven and unpredictable. Possibly the worst hit segment of the economy was the commercial construction sector which has certainly seen its share of ups and downs over the years. However, uncertainty often creates opportunities for forward-thinking investors. Let's take a look at the dynamics in the sector and the stocks that could benefit from an extended recovery.


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