BorgWarner Earnings Review

Vehicle engine and drivetrain provider BorgWarner Inc's (NYSE:BWA) fourth-quarter results saw the company deliver earnings at the high end of expectations, and management maintained its full-year 2017 guidance. The results marked a solid year of execution for the company even as it faced mixed end markets. Let's take a look at the earnings and the outlook BorgWarner gave investors for 2017.

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Roper Technologies Earnings Review

Roper Technologies (NYSE:ROP) finished up a peculiar fiscal 2016 with a strong set of fourth-quarter results. Its two largest segments (RF technology and medical and scientific imaging) had a strong year, while the less important other two (energy systems and controls and industrial technology) were both impacted by weak energy and industrial spending. However, with the market now anticipating improving energy spending and industrial production in the U.S., investors were surely looking to Roper for a broadly positive outlook for 2017. Let's take a look at the details from the fourth-quarter results and what management said about the coming year.

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Thinking of Investing in UPS and FedEx?

Now that the dust has settled on a disappointing set of earnings from United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS), it's time to look at whether the investment case for the stock has changed. In common with key rival FedEx Corporation (NYSE:FDX), UPS is seeing strong e-commerce growth pressuring its margin, while it's increasing its capital spending plans to expand network capacity. Do all of these developments change how to think about investing in the stocks?

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Emerson Electric Earnings Analysis

After a series of difficult earnings reports, Emerson Electric Co.'s (NYSE:EMR) first-quarter results and guidance finally suggested the company is getting over the worst. In common with its peer in industrial automation Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK), Emerson Electric is seeing improving conditions in the automation market. Meanwhile, Emerson's other segment -- commercial and residential solutions -- gave upbeat guidance for 2017, much like Ingersoll-Rand PLC's (NYSE:IR) outlook. In short, it was a good quarter for Emerson Electric, so let's look at the key details.

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Jones Lang LaSalle Earnings Review

Despite a difficult period for the commercial property market, Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. managed to outperform its end markets in the fourth quarter and the full year. Thanks to a combination of acquisitions and organic growth, the company managed to record double-digit revenue increases in the fourth quarter and full year, even as adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization) slumped in both periods.

There's a lot going on with Jones Lang LaSalle''s earnings and outlook for 2017, so let's take a closer look at what happened in the fourth quarter.

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Dassault Systemes Earnings Analysis

3D design and product lifecycle management software company Dassault Systemes' (NASDAQOTH:DASTY) fourth-quarter earnings saw the company return to form and give guidance that implies stronger growth ahead. Indeed, management believes it's past an inflection point in sales of its all-important 3DEXPERIENCE platform, and new license sales look set to improve their growth rate in 2017. Let's take a look at the details in the quarter in the context of an unusual year for the company

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United Parcel Service Stock Analysis

E-commerce growth doesn't come free. That's the key conclusion from United Parcel Service, Inc's (NYSE:UPS) fourth-quarter earnings report. In common with key rival FedEx Corporation (NYSE:FDX), UPS' latest earnings were something of a disappointment. Let's take a look at them and at what to expect from UPS in 2017

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Dana Incorporated Stock Analysis

As was the case for many other companies exposed to trucking and light-vehicle markets, last year was a very good one for stockholders in axles, driveshaft, and transmission manufacturer Dana Incorporated As you can see in the chart below, the whole sector -- including Dana's customers such as Navistar International Corporation and Cummins Inc. , and rivals such as Meritor, Inc. -- reported very strong gains. The question is: Can its run continue in 2017?

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Time to Panic Over General Electric Company Stock?

Another quarter and another revenue disappointment from General Electric Company In other words, the company is starting 2017 in the way it left 2016: executing solidly, but missing revenue estimates while finding ways to meet earnings guidance from non-core sources. As you can see in the chart below, it's not enough of a formula to convince investors, and the stock price has notably underperformed the S&P 500 and its peers. What's going on, and is it reason to panic?

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Robert Half International Earnings Review

With most commentators talking of a pickup in growth in 2017 and post-election euphoria encouraging the belief that a Donald Trump presidency will spur economic growth, it would be reasonable to think that staffing company Robert Half International Inc. will report some improving conditions. In fact, its fourth-quarter earnings was as lackluster as its third. Let's take a look at what's going on.

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WESCO International Earnings Review

With expectations for a recovery in U.S. industrial output in 2017 already in place, investors in industrial products provider WESCO International, Inc. (NYSE:WCC) must have eagerly awaited the company's fourth-quarter results. In the end, the headline numbers in the quarter were less important than the nuance within them and management's positive outlook for the year. There are subtle but real signs of recovery here, so let's take a closer look at the report and what management said.

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Union Pacific Corporation vs. CSX Corporation

A quick look at the stock charts of railroads Union Pacific Corporation and CSX Corporation would suggest the latter had a much weaker fourth quarter than its peer, but that doesn't tell the whole story. In truth, CSX's startling gain on the week is largely due to the news that Canadian Pacific Railway Limited  CEO Hunter Harrison was leaving the company in order to join activist investor Paul Hilal with an aim of taking action with CSX -- a railroad Canadian Pacific is believed to have sought to take over previously. While Harrison's move has sent the stock soaring, it's an investor's role to keep a clear head and look at the details in the quarter and compare them with the competition's results. So here goes.

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Rockwell Collins Outlook and What it Means For Boeing

One of the largest aerospace and Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA) suppliers, Rockwell Collins, Inc. (NYSE:COL), has released its first-quarter earnings and discussed its outlook for the aviation market in 2017. Let's take a look at what was said and what it means to the aviation industry and for Boeing.

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Illinois Tool Works Earnings Review

Diversified industrial Illinois Tool Works is acquiring a reputation for underpromising and overdelivering, and the latest fourth-quarter results only served to strengthen it. Its peer 3M Co. recently affirmed full-year 2017 guidance, and Illinois Tool Works did the same. Despite the excitement around what Donald Trump's election victory could mean for U.S. industrial output, management claimed its segments remained pretty much on track -- which suggests there might be some upside to current guidance. Let's take a look at another solid quarter, and how the company is set for 2017.


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McCormick & Company Earnings Review

As ever, spices and seasonings company McCormick & Company's (NYSE:MKC) earnings release and conference call this week were a mass of numbers. A combination of currency adjustments, acquisition effects, and special charges all helped to obscure the underlying picture at the company. Let's cut through the clutter to see what's going on.

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Check Point Software Earnings Review

It was hard to know exactly what to expect going into network security company Check Point Software Technologies Ltd's fourth-quarter results. After all, competitors like Fortinet Inc and Palo Alto Networks Inc. had both served notice that sales cycles were lengthening, and that's usually a clear sign of a slowing marketplace. Given Check Point's status as the established leader -- with non-GAAP operating income margin of 55% to protect -- it would have been natural for investors to be a bit fearful. But when the report was released on Thursday, earnings came in ahead of expectations.
Let's take a look at what happened in the quarter and what it could mean for the rest of the sector.

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ABB Ltd Stock Research

According to SEC filings, Swedish activist hedge fund Cevian Capital held more than 132 million shares of  ABB Ltd. in September, worth around $3 billion at today's pricing.  That's 6.2% of the of the utility, industrial and transportation-focused company's shares, and it signals Cevian's determination to unlock value from ABB's portfolio of companies.

While it's never a good idea to blindly follow hedge fund managers, Cevian's ABB position is a statement of intent from a well-respected investment manager, so let's take a look at the case for an individual investor to buy the stock.

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