Sunday, September 28, 2014

Top 5 Machinery Companies To Watch For 2014

Even though the mining and construction markets stubbornly refuse to get better as quickly as analysts want them to, there's still a ��ant to believe��trade alive and well in Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) shares. In other words, investors know that this company is built to withstand the ups and downs of the very cyclical construction, mining, and energy markets, and there's a definite interest in trying to buy low ahead of the recovery. Although the recovery looks a little further away now after the second quarter and Caterpillar shares aren't exactly cheap, they are a quality vehicle for playing those eventual recoveries in construction, energy, and mining.

Tough Conditions Lead To A Miss
Caterpillar's quarter was quite as bad as the financial media blurbs may suggest, but it was definitely a tough quarter, and one where results were below expectations even though sell-side analysts get frequent data points (dealer surveys, etc.) with which to fine-tune estimates.

Consolidated revenue declined 16%, but the number that everybody follows, machinery revenue, declined 17% and missed the average sell-side estimate by about 2%. Weakness was widespread, as resources (mining, mostly) led the way with a 34% decline, while construction fell 9% and power declined almost 5%. Every reporting region was down, with North American sales down the least (10%, with 1% growth in construction), LatAm and Europe down in the teens (-15% and -19%, respectively), and Asia-Pacific down 26%.

Best Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In 2015: First Majestic Silver Corp.(AG)

First Majestic Silver Corp. engages in the production, development, exploration, and acquisition of mineral properties with a focus on silver in Mexico. The company owns interests in La Encantada Silver Mine comprising 4,076 hectares of mining rights and 1,343 hectares of surface land located in Coahuila; La Parrilla Silver Mine consisting of mining concessions covering an area of 69,867 hectares; and San Martin Silver Mine comprising approximately 7,841 hectares of mineral rights and approximately 1,300 hectares of surface land rights located in Jalisco. It also holds interests in Del Toro Silver Mine consisting of 393 contiguous hectares of mining claims and an additional 129 hectares of surface rights located in Zacatecas; Real de Catorce Silver Project comprising 22 mining concessions covering 6,327 hectares located in San Luis Potosi state; and Jalisco Group of Properties consisting of mining claims totalling 5,240 hectares located in Jalisco. The company was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Lisa Levin] Related AG Morning Market Losers First Majestic Silver (AG) in Focus: Stock Rises 5.9% - Tale of the Tape Related ARCI Top 4 Stocks In The Electronics Stores Industry With The Highest ROE Morning Market Movers

    The Dow jumped 0.77% to 17,074.40, while the NASDAQ composite index rose 0.47% to 4,436.25. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 0.53% to 1,978.08.

  • [By Laura Brodbeck]

    Tuesday

    Earnings Expected: Fossil Group (NASDAQ: FOSL), CST Brands (NYSE: CST), First Majestic Silver (NYSE: AG) Economic Releases Expected: US retail sales, US redbook, German ZEW economic sentiment, Chinese retail sales, Chinese industrial production

    Wednesday

Top 5 Machinery Companies To Watch For 2014: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp (WAB)

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation (Wabtec), doing business as Wabtec Corporation, is a providers of value-added, technology-based equipment and services for the global rail industry. It provides its products and services through two business segments: the Freight Group and the Transit Group, both of which have different market characteristics and business drivers. Effective November 18, 2011, Wabtec acquired Fulmer Company, a manufacturer of motor components for rail, power generation and other industrial markets. Effective November 3, 2011, Wabtec acquired Bearward Engineering, a manufacturer of cooling systems and related equipment for power generation and other industrial markets. On June 29, 2011, the Company acquired an aftermarket transit parts business from GE Transportation, a parts supply business for propulsion and control systems for the passenger transit car aftermarket in North America. On February 25, 2011, the Company acquired Brush Traction Group, a provider of locomotive overhauls, services and aftermarket components. In July 2012, it acquired Tec Tran Corp. and its affiliates. In October 2012, it acquired LH Group. Effective July 30, 2013, Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp acquired Turbonetics Inc, a manufacturer of turbochargers and components. Effective September 24, 2013, Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp acquired Longwood Industries Inc.

The Freight Group manufactures and services components for freight cars and locomotives, builds new switcher locomotives, rebuilds freight locomotives, supplies railway electronics, positive train control equipment, signal design and engineering services, and provides related heat exchange and cooling systems. Its customers include railroads, leasing companies, manufacturers of original equipment, such as locomotives and freight cars, and utilities. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Freight Group accounted for 61% of its total sales, with about 75% of its sales in North America and the remainder! to international customers.

The Transit Group manufactures and services components for new and existing passenger transit vehicles, which include subway cars and buses, builds new commuter locomotives and refurbishes subway cars. Customers include public transit authorities and municipalities, leasing companies, and manufacturers of subway cars and buses globally. During 2011, the Transit Group accounted for 39% of its total sales, with about half of its sales in North America and the remainder to international customers. During 2011, about 66% of the Transit Group�� sales are in the aftermarket and the remainder in the original equipment market.

The Company�� specialty products and electronics include positive train control equipment and electronically controlled pneumatic braking products; railway electronics, including event recorders, monitoring equipment and end of train devices; signal design and engineering services; freight car truck components; draft gears, couplers and slack adjusters; air compressors and dryers; heat exchangers and cooling products for locomotives and power generation equipment, and track and switch products. Its brake products include railway braking equipment and related components for freight and transit applications, and friction products, including brake shoes and pads. Its remanufacturing, overhaul and build products include new commuter and switcher locomotives, and transit car and locomotive overhaul and refurbishment. Its transit products include rail and bus door and window assemblies; accessibility lifts and ramps for buses and subway cars, and traction motors.

The Company competes with Knorr-Bremse AG, Electro-Motive Diesel, GE Transportation Systems and Faiveley Transport.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Holly LaFon]

    Another area that is intriguing to us is the North American energy sector which looks to have a number of interesting catalysts currently. While the energy sector is at present only a modest overweight in the portfolios, we have been encouraged by several trends taking place for a number of years. These positive developments are also having an impact that goes far beyond the energy sector itself. Many believe that the U.S. will become energy independent and possibly a net exporter of natural gas and oil (currently restricted by law) in the next decade. This opinion is based primarily on the development of new drilling techniques (i.e. horizontal drilling, and high pressure fracking) that have enabled companies to access oil and natural gas reserves in shale formations that were previously not economically viable. The ability to tap into this acreage is a game-changer in our view and is already having a tremendous impact on the economy. Employment rates in these mostly rural areas surrounding the shale basins are very high and companies thus find hiring extremely competitive. Strong labor markets tend to create strong local economies. Oil States International (OIS) has been able to capitalize on this trend by providing housing and other services to oil service workers that are in demand in the area. CST Brands (CST) operates gas stations in Texas, but it is increasingly looking to broaden its product offering beyond fuel. Rail companies like Union Pacific (UNP), Canadian Pacific (CP), Kansas City Southern (KSU) and Genesee and Wyoming (GWR) have also benefited substantially. Given that shale areas are rural and often lacking infrastructure, substantial investment must be made to support drilling and production activities. Without pipelines in place, railroads have been the primary takeaway mechanism for moving production to the various clusters of refining capacity around the United States. In order to serve this demand, massive investment in railcars has been nee

  • [By Rich Duprey]

    The board of directors of railroad products manufacturer Wabtec (NYSE: WAB  ) was busy yesterday, announcing it was increasing its quarterly dividend payment by 60% while simultaneously splitting the company's stock.

Top 5 Machinery Companies To Watch For 2014: Mueller Water Products Inc (MWA)

Mueller Water Products, Inc., incorporated on September 22, 2005, is a manufacturer and marketer of products and services used in the transmission, distribution and measurement of water. The Company�� product portfolio includes engineered valves, fire hydrants, pipe fittings, water meters, leak detection and pipe condition assessment which are used by municipalities, as well as the residential and non-residential construction industries. The Company operates in two segments: Mueller Co. and Anvil. Mueller Co. The Company�� valve or fire hydrant products are specified for use in the 100 metropolitan areas in the United States.

Mueller Co.

Mueller Co. manufactures valves for water and gas systems, including iron gate, butterfly, tapping, check, plug and ball valves, as well as dry-barrel and wet-barrel fire hydrants and a of pipe repair products, such as clamps and couplings used to repair leaks. The Company offers residential and commercial metering products and systems and leak detection and pipe condition assessment products and services. Mueller Co. products are sold through waterworks distributors.

The Company�� fire hydrants consist of an upper barrel and nozzle section and a lower barrel and valve section that connects to a water main. In dry-barrel hydrants, the valve connecting the barrel of the hydrant to the water main is located below ground at or below the frost line, which keeps the hydrant upper barrel dry. It sells dry-barrel fire hydrants with the Mueller and U.S. Pipe Valve and Hydrant brand names in the United States and the Mueller and Canada Valve brand names in Canada. The Company also makes wet-barrel hydrants, where the valves are located in the hydrant nozzles and the barrel contains water at all times. It also makes wet-barrel hydrants, where the valves are located in the hydrant nozzles and the barrel contains water at all times.

Mueller Co. manufactures a variety of intelligent water technology products under the Mue! ller Systems and Hersey Meters brand names that are designed to help water providers accurately measure water usage. These products include water meters, advanced metering infrastructure systems and automated meter reading products, have the capability to measure water usage ranging from small residential flows to large commercial and industrial applications.

Mueller Co. offers leak detection and pipe condition assessment products and services under the Echologics brand name. Other products include pipe repair products, such as clamps and couplings used to repair leaks and municipal castings, such as manhole covers and street drain grates. It sells these products under the Mueller and Jones brand names.

The Company competes with McWane, Inc., American Cast Iron Pipe Company, The Ford Meter Box Company, Inc., A.Y. McDonald Mfg, Sensus, Neptune Technology Group, Inc., Badger Meter, Inc., Aclara LLC and Itron, Inc.

Anvil

Anvil manufactures and sources a range of products, includes fittings, couplings, hangers, valves and related products for use in many non-residential constructions for HVAC, fire protection, energy and oil and gas applications. Anvil's products are sold through distributors who then sell the products to a variety of end users. These distributors are serviced primarily through Anvil's distribution centers.

Fittings and Couplings manufactures threaded and grooved pipe fittings and couplings. Pipe fittings and couplings join two pieces of pipe together. The five categories of pipe fittings and couplings are cast iron fittings, malleable iron fittings and unions, grooved fittings, couplings and valves, threaded steel pipe coupling and nipples. Hangers, manufacture an array of pipe hangers and supports. Standard pipe hangers and supports are used in fire protection sprinkler systems and HVAC applications where the objective is to provide rigid support from the building structure.

The Company competes with Ward Man! ufacturin! g L.L.C., malleable iron fittings, Victaulic Company, Tyco International Ltd., ERICO International Corporation, Cooper Industries plc and Carpenter & Paterson, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Travis Hoium]

    What: Shares of Mueller Water Products (NYSE: MWA  ) jumped as much as 17% today after the company released earnings.

    So what: Fiscal-second-quarter revenue jumped 12.6% to $283.1 million and net income was $6.2 million, or $0.05 per share. Analysts only expected revenue to be $270.8 million and earnings of $0.02 per share so this was well ahead of estimates. �

Top 5 Machinery Companies To Watch For 2014: The Greenbrier Companies Inc (GBX)

The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. (Greenbrier), formerly Greenbrier Oregon, Inc., incorporated on October 24, 2005, are the designers, manufacturers and marketers of railroad freight car equipment in North America and Europe, a manufacturer and marketer of ocean-going marine barges in North America and a provider of wheel services, railcar refurbishment and parts, leasing and other services to the railroad and related transportation industries in North America. The Company operates in three business segments: Manufacturing; Wheel Services, Refurbishment & Parts; and Leasing & Services.

The Manufacturing segment, operating from facilities in the United States, Mexico and Poland, produces double-stack intermodal railcars, conventional railcars, tank cars and marine vessels.

The Wheel Services, Refurbishment & Parts segment performs wheel, axle and bearing servicing; railcar repair, refurbishment and maintenance activities; as well as production and reconditioning of a variety of parts for the railroad industry in North America. The Leasing & Services segment owns approximately 11,000 railcars and provides management services for approximately 219,000 railcars for railroads, shippers, carriers, institutional investors and other leasing and transportation companies in North America. The Company produces rail castings through an unconsolidated joint venture.

Manufacturing

The Manufacturing segment manufactures a broad array of railcar types in North America which includes railcar types other than coal cars. The primary products offered by the Company include Intermodal Railcars, Conventional Railcars, Tank Cars, European Railcar Manufacturing and Marine Vessel Fabrication. The Company manufactures a range of intermodal railcars. The important intermodal product is articulated double-stack railcar. The double-stack railcar is designed to transport containers stacked two-high on a single platform. The Company produces a range of boxcars, which are used in t! he transport of forest products, automotive, perishables, general merchandise and commodities. It also produces covered hopper cars for the grain, energy, sand and cement industries as well as gondolas for the steel and metals markets and various other conventional railcar types, including Auto-Max car.

The Company�� European manufacturing operation produces a variety of railcar (wagon) types, including a line of pressurized tank cars for liquid petroleum gas and ammonia and non-pressurized tank cars for light oil, chemicals and other products. It also produces flat cars, coil cars for the steel and metals market, coal cars for both the continental European and United Kingdom markets, gondolas, sliding wall cars and automobile transporter cars.

The Company�� Portland, manufacturing facility, located on a deep-water port on the Willamette River, includes marine vessel fabrication capabilities. It manufactures range of Jones Act ocean-going and river barges for transporting merchandise between ports within the U.S. including conventional deck barges, double-hull tank barges, railcar/deck barges, barges for aggregates and other heavy industrial products and dump barges. It focuses on the ocean-going vessels and coal carrying river barges although the facility has the capability to compete in other marine related products.

Wheel Services, Refurbishment and Parts.

Wheel Services, Railcar Repair, Refurbishment and Component Parts Manufacturing segment operates in the independent wheel services, repair, refurbishment and component parts networks in North America, operating in 39 locations. The wheel shops, operating in 12 locations, provide complete wheel services including reconditioning of wheels, axles and roller bearings in addition to new axle machining and finishing and axle downsizing. Its network of railcar repair and refurbishment shops, operating in 23 locations, performs heavy railcar repair and refurbishment, as well as routi! ne railca! r maintenance. It is engaged in the repair and refurbishment of railcars for third parties, as well as of its own leased and managed fleet. Its component parts facilities, operating in four locations, recondition railcar cushioning units, couplers, yokes, side frames, bolsters and various other parts. It also produces roofs, doors and associated parts for boxcars.

Leasing and Services

Leasing-The Company offers flexible financing programs including operating leases and by the mile leases to the customers . The Company leases are full service leases whereby the Company is responsible for maintenance and administration. Maintenance of the fleet is provided, in part, through its own facilities and engineering and technical staff.

Management Services- management services business offers a broad array of software and services that include railcar maintenance management, railcar accounting services, such as billing and revenue collection, car hire receivable and payable administration, total fleet management including railcar tracking using software, administration and railcar remarketing. The Company provide management services for a fleet of approximately 230,000 railcars for railroads, shippers, carriers, institutional investors and other leasing and transportation companies in North America.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Seth Jayson]

    There's no foolproof way to know the future for Greenbrier Companies (NYSE: GBX  ) or any other company. However, certain clues may help you see potential stumbles before they happen -- and before your stock craters as a result.

  • [By Monica Gerson]

    The Greenbrier Companies (NYSE: GBX) is projected to report its Q3 earnings at $0.74 per share on revenue of $571.07 million.

    UniFirst (NYSE: UNF) is estimated to report its Q3 earnings at $1.42 per share on revenue of $349.24 million.

  • [By Sara Murphy]

    Greenbrier Companies (NYSE: GBX  ) , a freight-car equipment maker, is likely to be a beneficiary of all this investment. The company has been public in its view that it will ride the crude-by-rail wave, irrespective of Keystone's fate. Carl Icahn seems convinced, and he disclosed a nearly 10% stake in Greenbrier at the end of last year.

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