Industrials businesses quietly power the physical things we depend on, from cars and homes to e-commerce infrastructure. Their momentum is also rising as lower interest rates have incentivized higher capital spending.
As a result, the industry has posted a 16.5% gain over the past six months, beating the S&P 500 by 2.4 percentage points.
Nevertheless, investors must be mindful as the cycle can unexpectedly turn. When this inevitably happens, only the elite companies will survive and ultimately thrive. On that note, here are three industrials stocks that may face trouble.
Thermon (THR)
Market Cap: $1.28 billion
Creating the first packaged tracing systems, Thermon (NYSE:THR) is a leading provider of engineered industrial process heating solutions for process industries.
Why Are We Cautious About THR?
- 3.5% annual revenue growth over the last two years was slower than its industrials peers
- Projected sales growth of 4% for the next 12 months suggests sluggish demand
- Earnings growth underperformed the sector average over the last two years as its EPS grew by just 5.6% annually
At $39.14 per share, Thermon trades at 18.4x forward P/E. If you’re considering THR for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.
GXO Logistics (GXO)
Market Cap: $6.02 billion
With notable customers such as Nike and Apple, GXO (NYSE:GXO) manages outsourced supply chains and warehousing for various companies.
Why Is GXO Not Exciting?
- Core business is underperforming as its organic revenue has disappointed over the past two years, suggesting it might need acquisitions to stimulate growth
- Earnings per share have dipped by 1.1% annually over the past two years, which is concerning because stock prices follow EPS over the long term
- High net-debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 6× could force the company to raise capital at unfavorable terms if market conditions deteriorate
GXO Logistics is trading at $53.01 per share, or 17.6x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including GXO in your portfolio.
Keysight (KEYS)
Market Cap: $36.04 billion
Spun off from Hewlett-Packard in 2014, Keysight (NYSE:KEYS) offers electronic measurement products for use in various sectors.
Why Does KEYS Give Us Pause?
- New orders were hard to come by as its average backlog growth of 1.1% over the past two years underwhelmed
- Sales over the last two years were less profitable as its earnings per share fell by 7.3% annually while its revenue was flat
- Shrinking returns on capital suggest that increasing competition is eating into the company’s profitability
Keysight’s stock price of $210.49 implies a valuation ratio of 25.9x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with KEYS, check out our full research report (it’s free for active Edge members).
Stocks We Like More
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