Order backlog sets Finning up for gains

Article Excerpt

FINNING INTERNATIONAL INC. $27 (Toronto symbol FTT; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 168.2 million; Market cap: $4.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.8; Dividend yield: 2.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.finning.com) sells, rents and services Caterpillar-brand heavy equipment. Western Canada (B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Yukon, Northwest Territories and parts of Nunavut) supplied 50% of the company’s revenue in 2016. South America (Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Bolivia) contributed 33%, while the U.K. and Ireland provided 17%. Finning mainly sells its products to cyclical companies in the oil, mining and construction industries. As a result, its revenue and earnings fluctuate with the prices for those underlying commodities. Revenue and earnings follow commodity prices The company’s revenue rose 4.5%, from $6.6 billion in 2012 to $6.9 billion in 2014. Due to lower oil and metal prices, revenue declined to $6.2 billion in 2015, and fell again to $5.6 billion in 2016. Earnings dropped from $1.96 a share (or a total of $337.6 million) in 2012 to…