Sunday, November 29, 2015

Home Depot, Inc HD Sees Growth in Housing Market

Home Depot, Inc. reported third-quarter results on Nov. 17 and continued its three-quarter run of raising full-year 2015 guidance. Moreover, management discussed the positive trends in its underlying business and outlined how the key drivers of its growth continued to show positive signs. It's time to take a closer look at a good quarter for the retailer.


READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

AgroFresh Solutions Inc Stock Research

AgroFresh Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ:AGFS) gave its first earnings call as a listed company and immediately introduced followers to the vagaries of the farming market. AgroFresh sells solutions that enable farmers to control the quality of their fruit during storage and transportation as well as pre-harvesting. Its earnings are thus always going to be somewhat subject to crop conditions in any given year. What happened and why?


READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Emerson Electric to Recover in 2016?

There is something soothing and therapeutic about a company reaching the fourth-quarter of a difficult fiscal year and looking ahead to a better year. It's not quite that Emerson Electric's (NYSE: EMR) management is expecting a better fiscal 2016, but rather it expects the second half of its 2016 to mark an improvement on the first.Following the current rough patch, investors could be looking at an entirely different story by this time next year.Time to get excited? Let's dive in and see if there is any cause for optimism.


READ THE GULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Monday, November 23, 2015

Is United Technologies Undervalued?

United Technologies isn't the only company whose management believes its stock is intrinsically undervalued, but in this case, there's a sound argument to justify that belief. Furthermore, management is backing up its claim by promising to buy back $16 billion worth of stock in the 2015-2017 period. Let's take a look at what's going on, and why investors in General Electric also have cause for optimism.


READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Illinois Tool Works Equity Analysis

Investors buy stocks for many different reasons, and differing investment philosophies can easily lead to radically diverging conclusions on the same stock. A good example is Illinois Tool Works. The stock is interesting because it offers different things to growth and value investors, and depending on your perspective, it might fit your portfolio. Let's take a closer look.



READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Friday, November 20, 2015

Cisco Systems Gives Disappointing Guidance

Information technology bellwether Cisco Systems delivered a good set of first-quarter fiscal 2016 results, but by management's own admission, its second-quarter guidance was lower than market expectations. The company blamed this on a combination of adverse foreign exchange issues and macro-economic challenges. However, there is a lot more going under the surface of these results, so let's take a closer look.


READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Is Ecommerce Actually Hurting United Parcel Service?

A lot has been made of the way business-to-consumer e-commerce demand is surging, and how package delivery companies like United Parcel Service  and FedEx Corporation will benefit from it in the long term. However, it hasn't been smooth sailing for those shippers just yet. Volumes have increased strongly during recent holiday seasons, putting pressure on both companies as they attempt to deal with the demand. Consequently, both companies have taken costly measures to improve their abilities to cope with peak. Has peak demand affected profitability, particularly in the fourth quarter?


READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED













Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Dover Corp: Time to Buy Stock?

At some point, oil has to bounce, right? That's the question investors in Dover Corporation must be asking themselves. Dover may be classified as a diversified industrial company, but in 2014, it generated around 35% of its earnings from the oil and gas industry. Given the slump in energy capital spending this year, it's hardly surprising that Dover's full-year revenue and earnings are expected to slump in 2015. However, the stock is also 19% cheaper than it was a year ago. So, is now the time to be picking up shares of Dover? Here's what you need to know before buying.


READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

United Parcel Service Conference Call

As United Parcel Service moves into its critical fourth-quarter, it's a good time for investors to take stock on what kind of year it's been and how UPS shaping up for the future. In the near-term, the company's focus is on dealing with peak demand during the holiday period, and the likely impact of slower economic growth. Thinking longer term, the question is how will it affect UPS's business and its earnings expectations? Here are five things management had to say on such issues during the recent third-quarter earnings call.


READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Johnson Controls Management Speaks

Automotive parts and building components maker Johnson Controls Inc  has been in transformation mode for the past couple of years, and its fiscal 2016 promises more of the same. The company is best known as a major automotive interior manufacturer, but CEO Alex Molinaroli has increasingly focused on its building efficiency segment while investing in expanding power solutions (automotive batteries). Meanwhile the automotive experience segment is set to be spun off next year. With this in mind, let's take a look at five things management wants you to know about Johnson's future plans.


READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED
Emerson Electric's fourth-quarter results capped off a very difficult year for the diversified industrial company. Emerson started its fiscal year struggling with weak energy capital spending and a strong U.S. dollar. Unfortunately, adding insult to injury, the year got worse. As the year progressed, issues like weakening emerging market growth and slowing industrial spending joined the party. Despite recent travails, the company continues to be well respected by dividend investors for being a Dividend Aristocrat -- 2015 marked the 59th consecutive year of increased dividends -- so let's take a look at the results and how management is dealing with difficult markets.


READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Cognex Corporation Not Immune From Industrial Economy

s has been the case with many industrial companies, Cognex  reported slowing conditions in its markets in the third quarter. Moreover, management gave soft guidance for the fourth quarter and cautioned investors against too much near-term optimism. On the other hand, management still views Cognex has a long-term growth business, so let's take a closer look at what exactly happened in the third quarter.


READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH REPORT LINKED

Johnson Controls's Difficult Third Quarter

It was a tough fourth quarter for Johnson Controls Inc from an end-market perspective, but much of the bad news, such as the slowdown in China hitting its automotive and construction markets -- was arguably priced into the stock before the earnings came out.

The question now is what about the company's prospects in 2016? Let's take a look at the details behind the trends in the fourth quarter.


READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

What United Parcel Service Must do in the Fourth Quarter

United Parcel Service's recently released third-quarter results left the market underwhelmed, and the stock sold off slightly in the aftermath. Its report followed disappointing results from package delivery rival FedEx Corporation. Consequently, investors must be wondering what lies ahead for UPS in the fourth quarter?


READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Monday, November 9, 2015

Dassault Systemes Earnings Analysis

3D design software specialist Dassault Systemes continued its strong run in 2015 by delivering earnings on Oct. 22 that came in ahead of management's guidance. In addition, full-year estimates were raised in view of the strong third-quarter results. Let's take a look at the third quarter and what management predicts for the rest of the year.


READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE ARTICLE

Sunday, November 8, 2015

What Danaher Corporation's Management Wants You to Know

Danaher Corporation (NYSE:DHR) has comfortably outperformed the S&P 500 in the last year, but the question is: Can its run continue? Part of the answer lies in management's ability to successfully integrate Pall Corp. and complete the planned separation of Danaher into two companies. The other part lies in continuing to generate growth with its existing businesses. That said, here are five key things that management wants you to know about the company's future prospects.


READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Check Point Software, Best Stock in the IT Security Sector?

Following fellow IT security company Fortinet Inc.'s near-20% drop after it reported results last Friday, investors in Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. must have had a nervous weekend waiting for earnings on the following Monday. In the end, Check Point's third-quarter earnings were fine, but the real question is: What will happen in the fourth quarter?


READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Friday, November 6, 2015

BorgWarner Reduces Guidance, Again

For the third quarter in a row, engine and powertrain company BorgWarner (NYSE:BWA) disappointed the market by reducing its full-year revenue and earnings guidance. Once again, currency effects played a part, but clearly weakness in China and commercial vehicle production in parts of the world is also hurting the company. It was an interesting report in terms of observing trends in auto production. In addition, management took the time to explain BorgWarner's exposure to the Volkswagen (NASDAQOTH:VLKAY) emissions debacle. Let's take a closer look.


READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

MSC Industrial Earnings Signals a Weak Manufacturing Environment

Anyone with lingering doubts that the manufacturing sector is in a slowdown need only take a look at MSC Industrial Direct's fiscal fourth-quarter results, which were released on Tuesday. Just as rival W.W. Grainger indicated in mid-October, MSC Industrial is seeing a challenging environment in which revenue growth and margin are coming under pressure. In reality, industrial supply companies have limited visibility, so future guidance is subject to change, but they do give a very accurate reading on current conditions. Let's take a look at the earnings report.


READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

United Parcel Service Earnings Analysis

On a headline basis, United Parcel Service delivered a solid set of results and guidance on Tuesday, but many of the underlying themes in the report confirmed what key rival FedEx Corporation said about the weakening in the global economy in 2015. Let's take a look at the headline numbers and then focus on the trends beneath them.


READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Monday, November 2, 2015

Jones Lang LaSalle Keeps Growing

Commercial real estate company Jones Lang LaSalle  followed rival CBRE Group, Inc in releasing a bumper set of earnings on Wednesday. CBRE beat analyst estimates and raised full-year earnings guidance in its results presentation, but the standout numbers came from Jones Lang LaSalle. Let's take a look at why the market got so excited by the earnings report.


READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Danaher Corporation Offers a Safe Haven

Given the weakening in the industrial economy in the last six months, investors have increasingly bought into companies like Danaher for two main reasons:

First, its mix of healthcare and niche technology businesses and minimal exposure to oil and gas capital spending means it should avoid the worst of the slowdown.

Second, it's somewhat of a special-situations stock in the sense that its $13.8 billion acquisition of filtration company Pall Corp. was with the intention to separate itself into two publicly traded companies.

That said, do its recent third-quarter results back up this thesis?


READ THE FULL EQUItY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Sunday, November 1, 2015

General Electric Company Profting From the Industrial Internet

A lot has been said about General Electric Company's industrial Internet, but a lot less about how it's likely to favorably change the operating metrics of the company. Investors' primary focus is usually on a company's bottom line and how much they are paying for it.

With this in mind, let's take a look at five ways the industrial Internet could make General Electric a more profitable company.


READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Illinois Tool Works Earnings Analysis

Another quarter brings another set of earnings from Illinois Tool Works in which the underlying improvements due to its five-year enterprise strategy plan are hidden by deteriorating end markets. In short, management reduced earnings guidance to account for a weaker economy, but its ongoing initiatives continue to make progress -- possibly setting the company up for strong growth given a pickup in the industrial economy. Let's take a closer look at the earnings.


READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED