Strong reputations cut their cyclical risk

Article Excerpt

These two companies supply products and services vital to the success of oil exploration and mining firms While they remain vulnerable to cyclical downturns, their high market share and strong reputations continue to help their profits rebound as commodity prices recover. FINNING INTERNATIONAL INC. $28 (Toronto symbol FTT; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 168.1 million; Market cap: $4.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.8; Dividend yield: 2.7%; 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. In the three months ended June 30, 2017, the company’s revenue jumped 20.7%, to $1.6 billion from $1.3 billion a year earlier. That gain is partly because forest fires near Fort McMurray, Alberta, disrupted many of Finning’s clients and depressed its year-earlier sales. In addition to the higher revenue, Finning has begun to benefit from a recent restructuring plan. Earnings in the quarter jumped…