Cost cuts should add to your 66% gain

Article Excerpt

ARCONIC INC. $31 is still a buy. The company (New York symbol ARNC; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; shares o/s: 432.9 million; Market cap: $13.4 billion; P.S. ratio: 1.0; Divd. yield: 0.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.arconic.com) is a leader in engineered aluminum for cars, buildings and jet engines. Arconic continues to close older, less-efficient facilities. It expects to eventually cut its annual costs by $300 million. The company, in fact, realized $213 million in savings in 2019. In the fourth quarter of 2019, revenue dipped 2.0%, to $3.40 billion from $3.47 billion. If you adjust for sales of less-important assets, revenue improved 1%. Still, thanks to its continuing cost cuts, Arconic’s earnings jumped 44.4%, to $234 million from $162 million a year earlier. That helped hand investors a 66% gain over the last 12 months. Arconic also buys back shares to reward you. With fewer shares outstanding, earnings per share shot up 60.6%, to $0.53 from $0.33. $0.33….