Finning and Linamar ready for growth

Article Excerpt

These two leading industrial companies face weaker demand for their products. In response, Finning has cut costs, while Linamar has made acquisitions. We feel each strategy will lead to long-term gains. FINNING INTERNATIONAL INC. $25 (Toronto symbol FTT; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 168.1 million; Market cap: $4.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.7; Dividend yield: 2.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.finning. com) sells and services Caterpillar-brand heavy equipment in Canada, South America and the U.K. Its main customers are in the oil, mining and construction industries. Low commodity prices continue to hurt demand for heavy equipment. As a result, Finning’s revenue in the three months ended September 30, 2016, fell 12.1%, to $1.3 billion from $1.5 billion a year earlier. In response, the company has eliminated jobs and consolidated some of its operations. Finning expects these moves to cut $150 million in annual expenses for its Canadian operations. The company is starting to realize some of these savings. Earnings in…