We maintain our Outperform recommendation on
Caterpillar Inc.
(
CAT
) driven by its overwhelming positives. Prime is the Bucyrus
acquisition which positions the company as the #1 mining equipment
manufacturer in the U.S.
Other considerations include a record backlog, expansion plans
and expectations of top-line growth on the back of increasing
demand for construction and mining equipment. The
quantitative Zacks #1 Rank (short-term Strong Buy rating) for the
company indicates upward pressure on the stock over the near
term.
Looking back at 2011, Caterpillar recorded an impressive 88%
surge in profits to $7.79 per share (excluding the impact of
acquisition of Bucyrus), driven by record sales. Total revenue
increased 35% to $57.6 billion, excluding the impact of acquisition
of Bucyrus. When the impact of acquisition of Bucyrus was accounted
for, Caterpillar witnessed an all time-record sales of $60.1
billion, up 41% from 2010, driven by increased sales volume
(particularly new equipment) on higher end-user demand. Including
the effect of Bucyrus, profit per share was $7.40, up 78% from
$4.15 in 2010.
The Caterpillar-Bucyrus merger will position Caterpillar as the
leading global mining original equipment manufacturer and will
dwarf
Joy Global Inc.
(
JOY
), the only U.S.-based manufacturer of surface and underground
mining equipment. Caterpillar expects Bucyrus to be accretive to
its operating profit by at least $450 million in fiscal 2012.
Caterpillar has a narrow product line compared to Bucyrus, which
has a broad product portfolio. These include electric rope shovels,
draglines, hydraulic shovels, drills, underground mining equipment,
trucks and highwall miners. The range will complement Caterpillar's
existing mining product line. The Bucyrus acquisition will also
help Caterpillar to gain a strong foothold in China and India, both
of which are major mining markets.
Caterpillar's financial position continued to strengthen through
fiscal 2011. The company's Machinery and Power Systems (M&PS)
operating cash flow was $8 billion, an improvement of 43% over 2010
and an all time record. The positive cash flow resulted from
continued strong performance and a significant focus on asset
management. This, in turn, has facilitated Caterpillar to fund
acquisitions of around $10 billion without diluting shareholder
value. Even with the acquisitions, Caterpillar had more than $3
billion in cash on its balance sheet with an M&PS
debt-to-capital ratio of 42.7%, as of fiscal 2011 end.
Despite the relatively weak economic growth in 2011,
Caterpillar's order backlog increased steadily throughout the year
and was at a record level, which holds promise for the year ahead.
Backlog (excluding Bucyrus impact) stood at $29.8 billion, up 59%
from $18.7 billion at the end of 2010 and 4% above the
third-quarter end. Besides, many products have long lead times,
with some slated for 2014. This bodes well for Caterpillar's future
performance.
The company is doggedly adding production capacity for many of
its products. Caterpillar's recent string of investments include
expansion in Tosno, Russia for off-highway trucks, a new mining
truck facility in Indonesia and expansion of existing facility,
capacity expansion of mining trucks produced in Illinois, expansion
of mining truck capacity and a new small engine facility in India,
and also a new small excavator and tractor facility in Georgia. A
new parts distribution center in California and expansion of an
R&D center in Wuxi, China are in the pipeline.
Caterpillar recently announced the expansion of its
manufacturing facility in Xuzhou, China, which would augment
hydraulic excavator production by a substantial 80%. Furthermore,
it is adding another product line and expanding its wholly owned
Chinese construction equipment company, Shandong Engineering
Machinery. In a bid to expand its parts distribution network,
Caterpillar is building a new parts distribution center in San Luis
Potosi, Mexico. We believe the top line at the company will
continue to grow on the back of increasing demand for construction
and mining equipment. Caterpillar's expansion plans of opening new
facilities and furthering existing operations, particularly in the
emerging markets, will boost its long-term potential.
Peoria, Illinois-based Caterpillar Inc. is the manufacturer of
construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines,
and industrial gas turbines. The company is one of the few leading
U.S. companies in an industry that competes globally from a
principally domestic manufacturing base. Caterpillar operates two
divisions - M&PS and Financial Products. Caterpillar competes
with the likes of
CNH Global NV
(
CNH
),
Komatsu Ltd.
(
KMTUY
) and
Volvo AB
(
VOLVY
).
CATERPILLAR INC (
CAT
): Free Stock Analysis Report
CNH GLOBAL NV (
CNH
): Free Stock Analysis Report
JOY GLOBAL INC (
JOY
): Free Stock Analysis Report
VOLVO AB ADR B (
VOLVY
): Free Stock Analysis Report
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