FedEx Benefits From Ecommerce

FedEx Corporation got back on form by delivering a solid set of second-quarter earnings on Wednesday, and guidance was maintained in the face of weaker-than-expected economic conditions. Moreover, management commentary confirmed FedEx is successfully handling surging e-commerce demand during the holiday season. Let's take a closer look at FedEx's second-quarter results.

READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

5 Key Indicators for the Industrial Sector

While we don't believe in macroeconomic speculation at the Motley Fool, we admit that sometimes key insights into a company's prospects can be explained by looking closely at an industry or macro economic indicator. After all, it's hard for even the best company to fight against strong economic tides. With that in mind, the information in the following 5 charts give a rough idea of how the underlying industries of the 5 companies in question might fare in the year ahead.

READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

United Technologies Outlook for 2016

United Technologies faces a year of transition in 2016. In a nutshell, next year will see the company laying the groundwork for long-term growth in recurring earnings and cash flow. It will make the stock more attractive in the long term, but reduce near-term earnings prospects. Let's take a look at what investors need to know about the company's 2016.

READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Illinois Tool Works Outlook for 2016

During its recent investor and analyst day, Illinois Tool Works reiterated its performance goals for 2017. Its management has set its targets as the fruition of a five-year enterprise strategy plan intended to increase margin and revenue growth. Let's look at the analyst day presentation in the context of making a decision to buy the stock or not.

The company's enterprise plan means the stock offers self-help growth opportunities -- not a bad quality in a sluggish economy -- but ultimately its fortunes are still tied to the industrial economy. The question is whether the former is enough to offset any difficulties with the latter in 2016.

READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Time to Buy Agricultural Machinery Stocks For 2016?

Titan Machinery, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:TITN) third-quarter results delivered the latest tale of woe for the agricultural machinery sector, and the market promptly reacted by sending the stock down nearly 25% in the days following the earnings report. Titan's troubles matter to the sector because it sells and rents agricultural and industrial equipment to CNH Industrial (NYSE:CNHI). As CNH goes, so do rivals Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) and AGCO Corporation (NYSE:AGCO). That said, let's take a look at Titan's earnings and the outlook for the rest of the sector.

READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Is Rockwell Automation ROK a Stock to Buy for 2016?

There's no doubt that the industrial automation sector has had a disappointing 2015. Falling oil prices have pressured capital spending in the upstream oil industry, and slowing industrial growth -- not least in emerging markets -- created caution in industrial capital spending. That said, Rockwell Automation  has notably outperformed peers such as Emerson Electric and ABB Ltd. Let's look at why, and examine whether Rockwell's stock can outperform in 2016.

READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

5 Key Takeaways From Deere & Company (DE) Earnings

Deere & Company's recent results beat analyst expectations, and the initial uptick in the stock price served notice that despite forecasts for another year of falling sales, Deere still has upside potential. In this context, let's look at five things management wants you to know from its fourth-quarter results.

READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Time to Buy Johnson Controls for 2016?

Johnson Controls' (NYSE:JCI) recent strategic review and outlook failed to convince the market, with the stock down around 7% in the two days' trading afterward. The negative issues look stock-specific rather than any kind of warning on its end market, and rivals such as United Technologies (NYSE:UTX) and Ingersoll-Rand Plc (NYSE:IR) shouldn't be unduly worried by what Johnson Controls' management said. However, a deeper dive into the company's guidance suggests management may be taking a rosy view on its prospects in China in 2016. Let's take a closer look.

READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

General Electric Company (GE) and Alstom

General Electric Company recently updated investors on its acquisition of Alstom's power and grid assets.The deal is an integral part of the company's refocusing on its industrial businesses, and management outlined a number of initiatives that strengthen the case for buying the stock. It's been thought of as a play on cost-cutting, but management outlined a number of growth initiatives as well. Let's take a closer look.

READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Winners and Losers From Earnings Season

With the third-quarter earnings season largely over, it's time to analyze which industrial stocks and sectors outperformed or disappointed. In doing so, let's take a look at the key trends and themes in the results of the major industrial companies. Will these investment themes continue to work in 2016?

READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Deere & Company Company Analysis

Deere & Company's  recent results were warmly received by a stock market that's hoping the company can engineer a turnaround in fiscal year 2016. However, the earnings beat was more about cost cutting than any improvement in the agriculture machinery market. In reality, Deere still faces declining end markets in 2016. On a brighter note, the stock gives you upside exposure to any increase in crop prices, and for that reason alone it's attractive within a balanced portfolio. Let's look at what you need to know before buying or selling a position.

READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Using Behavioral Finance in Investing

Have you ever wondered how you can make money from behavioral finance? It's a much-discussed topic that often leaves investors floundering for something tangible to invest in. Well, wonder no further, because I have three examples of stocks whose prospects are best understood using a simple understanding of the so-called wealth effect. So let's look at why Boeing , Deere & Company , and The Home Depot are interesting for behavioral-finance enthusiasts

READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE

Today's Dividend Candidate: Emerson Electric

For those on the hunt of dividend yield, industrial stalwart Emerson Electric's  nearly 3.9% dividend yield is surely attracting some attention. Unfortunately, investing is rarely as simple as picking out a stock based on yield, so I thought I would discuss some of the pros and cons of buying dividend aristocrat Emerson Electric for its yield.

READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

When Will Caterpillar Stock Recover?

The eternal question with a company like Caterpillar  is when the cycle will turn in its end markets. As ever with highly cyclical stocks, when the market turns down, its sales fall dramatically, only to rise in similar fashion when conditions improve. In this context, let's look at the underlying sales trends with Caterpillar and what it means for its prospects in 2016.

READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

What Siemens Results Mean to General Electric Investors

It's always interesting to hear what competitors are saying about end markets and their competitive positioning, and there aren't many more iconic rivals in the industrials space than General Electric Company  and Siemens. Let's look at Siemens' latest earnings and commentary on end markets, and compare where the two companies are headed.

READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Advance Auto Parts Looks a Good Value

The investment idea behind buying Advance Auto Parts is based on the belief that the company can play catch-up with rivals such as AutoZone and O'Reilly Automotive. It's an attractive proposition because Advance currently trades at a substantial discount to its peers. In my view, closing the gap could result in a near doubling of the stock price. But can Advance really achieve its aims? Here is what you need to know before buying the stock. 

READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Advance Auto Parts: A Value Stock

Advance Auto Parts represents one of the most compelling deep-value stocks in the market. But a deep-value company is rarely one firing on all cylinders, and Advance Auto Parts has challenges ahead, as its management seeks to close the valuation gap with rivals AutoZone and O'Reilly Automotive. Let's take a closer look at the value proposition.

In a nutshell, the case for buying Advance Auto Parts rests on the idea that it can improve its operational metrics to the levels O'Reilly and AutoZone have achieved.

READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Is 3M Company a Stock to Buy?

Quality stocks rarely come cheap, and 3M Company is a prime example. The company trades with a P/E in excess of 20 times and has recently cut its full-year 2015 guidance in the face of a weakening industrial economy. However, its underlying performance remains excellent, and management recently announced restructuring and productivity improvement programs designed to increase profitability in the next few years. Let's take a look at the pros and cons of buying 3M stock.

READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

Emerson Electric's Latest Earnings Call

Emerson Electric's fiscal-year 2015 proved challenging, to say the least. Reductions in energy capital expenditures, adverse currency movements, and emerging-market weakness combined to reduce full-year net sales by 9% and adjusted EPS by 15%. As the company enters its fiscal 2016, investors will be hoping to see some improvement. With this in mind, here are five things that management wants you to know about its future prospects.

READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED