Before the open on Monday 10/22/12,
Caterpillar
(
CAT
) reported earnings for the third quarter of 2012. The beat of
expectations contained a few one-time items and when we back out
the options expense we see that the company beat expectations by
$0.06 or about 2%.
While CAT is a Zacks #5 Rank (Strong Sell) there are still lots of
things we can learn from the conference call. So a quick review of
what was said on the CAT conference call: 1. dealers stating they
have too much inventory, 2. 2/3 of lower guidance is due to
construction and 1/3 for mining and power systems, 3.Europe is
going to be weak and China won't see growth until new year.
The 800 lb. gorilla in the space is a Zacks #5 Rank (Strong Sell),
so it is not too surprising that most of the names in the group do
not carry the coveted Zacks #1 Rank.
Terex
Let's start with Zacks #3 Rank (Hold)
Terex
(
TEX
) which is more focused on cranes and aerial work platforms than
the monster earth moving vehicles that CAT makes. Since
construction isn't that much of a concern and they have limited
exposure to mining and power systems the weakness from CAT may
signal that a buying opportunity for TEX.
Over the last three quarters, TEX has shown some outstanding
earnings momentum. Starting with a $0.01 beat in the December 2011
quarter, the company has delivered strong beats on an absolute and
percentage basis. The March 2012 quarter saw a beat of $0.06 or 26%
ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
The most recent quarter was a blowout, with the company reporting
earnings of $0.75, or $0.26 ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
The beat of 53% was a big driver for the stocks 27% move the
following day.
Now the company is slated to report again, and analysts may be a
little low with their expectations. In the most recent quarter,
analysts were expecting $0.49 and now they are looking for $0.50.
When we look back to last year, we see that the company had a solid
beat of $0.08 or 36% ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the
third quarter of 2011.
Terex
is slated to report earnings on 10/24/12 after the close with its
conference call being held the following morning.
Joy Global
Another name that is going to be impacted by the CAT
Joy Global
(
JOY
). The company is much more focused on mining, and with that being
a direct cause of the tempered growth rates, a deeper look is
warranted.
Over the last four quarters, JOY has produced three misses and one
positive earnings surprise. The beat came in the April 2012 quarter
where the company reported earnings per share of $2.04, $0.09 or
4.6% ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Despite that beat,
shares traded lower by 5.6% in the session following the report.
In fact, over the last four quarters the stock has dropped
following each of the earnings releases. The October 2011 quarter
saw the stock fall by 12% in the session following the release. The
January 2012 quarter saw a 4.6% decline and the most recent quarter
saw a 2% slide in the next trading session.
We have heard about a larger slowing cycle for the miners, and most
of that is coming from the weaker demand in China. Their boom cycle
of outrageous GDP growth is tuning to bust, and the miners are
among the first to feel the pain of a huge source of demand
basically going into shut down mode.
The valuation picture for JOY be an even bigger trap than a shut
down mine. Yes the metrics are well below the industry average, but
the industry and the company are likely to experience slower growth
over the next several quarters.
The revenue estimates tell the tale that the last quarter was
likely the peak for the industry. The company saw growth from 2Q11
to 3Q11, but for 2Q12 to 3Q12, the estimates are calling for a
sequentially lower number. 3Q12 vs. 3Q11 will still show growth,
but it's becoming clear that future growth will be constrained.
Finally we have a play that is a little bit of a reach, but could
be the wave of the future.
Westport Innovations
(
WPRT
) is in the production of natural gas-based engines. This falls in
the power generation segment even though the target market for WPRT
is automotive.
WPRT is still quite small, and not even a blip on the screen when
compared to CAT. Being small can have its advantages, including a
significantly stronger revenue growth rate. The company is expected
to report revenue of $101 million for the September 2012 quarter,
up more than 25% from the $80 million posted in the year ago
period.
Earnings estimates for 2012 have moved from a loss of $1.30 in July
to the current level of a loss of $1.14, an increase of 12%. Over
the same time period, estimates for 2013 haven't moved that much,
inching lower by about one penny. Analysts do see an improvement
though, with earnings for 2013 projected to come in at a loss of
$0.73, which implies earnings growth of more than 35%.
The valuation metrics for WPRT are skewed seeing as the company is
losing money and will continue to do so next year. The more
conservative measure of price to book has WPRT trading at 3.9x,
well above the industry average of 1.6x. Price to sales shows an
even greater premium of 4.3x compared to a 0.5x industry average.
Summary
Caterpillar earnings were positive but the outlook that was revised
lower. That type of mixed report can still provide investors with
some insights as to where you can find outperformance and where you
may be disappointed. Shares of Terex (TEX) should do well in light
of the news out of CAT, but shares of Joy Global (JOY) will likely
disappoint following earnings. Shares of Westport Innovations make
take a while before reaching full potential and the weakness from a
player like CAT could be a good thing for WPRT.
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CATERPILLAR INC (CAT): Free Stock Analysis
Report
JOY GLOBAL INC (JOY): Free Stock Analysis
Report
TEREX CORP (TEX): Free Stock Analysis Report
WESTPORT INNOV (WPRT): Free Stock Analysis
Report
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