Cost savings improve its outlook

Article Excerpt

STANLEY BLACK & DECKER INC. $78 is a buy for patient investors. The toolmaker’s (New York symbol SWK; Income Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 153.0 million; Market cap: $11.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.7; Dividend yield: 4.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.stanleyblackanddecker.com) sales jumped during COVID-19 lockdowns as consumers focused on home improvement projects. However, sales have weakened as the economy re-opened. Higher costs for steel and other inputs have also hurt earnings. As part of a new cost-cutting plan, Stanley plans to close factories in Texas and South Carolina and relocate those operations to other facilities. It’s also shrinking the number of products it makes. In all, these moves should cut $2 billion from its annual costs by the end of 2025. Stanley Black & Decker is a buy for patient investors. investors…