3M Co Stock Analysis

The first-quarter proved to be a good one for the industrial sector, and particularly so for multi-industry companies like 3M Co (NYSE:MMM) and Illinois Tool Works (NYSE:ITW). Both companies reported strong first quarters and raised their full-year revenue and earnings guidance. That said, they both currently trade on valuations that look expensive compared to previous years. . Let's take a look at the investment case for and against buying stock in 3M Co.

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Key Takeaways From General Electric Company Presentations

It hasn't been a great year for shareholders of General Electric (NYSE:GE), who have watched as the stock hassignificantly underperformed the S&P 500. Now, CEO Jeff Immelt is under pressure to reassure the investment community that the company is back on track toward its earnings and operational goals, and he sought to do just that with his presentation at the Electrical Products Group conference last week. Let's take a closer look at the key takeaways from the presentation.

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Where is UPS Going in 2017?

It's no secret that United Parcel Service, Inc (NYSE:UPS) and FedEx Corporation (NYSE:FDX) are key beneficiaries of the e-commerce revolution. While that's good news from a revenue growth perspective, it's not necessarily a good thing from a margin and cash flow perspective. Both companies are facing margin pressure from growing e-commerce deliveries, and UPS in particular is having to ramp up capital expenditures and costs in order to support future growth.

In this context, let's take a look at what's going on at UPS and how it affects the investment proposition. 

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China in 2017

There is no shortage of economists predicting China GDP growth rates for 2017 from a top-down perspective, but what about looking at matters from a bottom-up approach? In that context, here's what leading industrial companies said about the first quarter and what to expect going forward.

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General Electric Company Power Segment Analysis

On General Electric Company's (NYSE:GE) last earnings call, Citigroup analyst Andrew Kaplowitz raised a question attesting to fears that GE's power segment could be facing structural issues -- rather than "transient and cyclical" ones. It's actually a key consideration, because power is GE's historical strength, and gas turbines are still its single most important product. Let's take a look at the arguments for and against.

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AgroFresh Solutions Earnings Analysis

AgroFresh Solutions, Inc. , a company offering freshness solutions to growers of produce, pleased investors by reporting progress on its plans for 2017. Not only were its headline numbers better, but management also outlined improvements made from the implementation of its growth strategy. Let's take a closer look at the details from the quarter.

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BorgWarner Earnings Analysis

The auto industry is one of the most-discussed sectors of the industrial economy in 2017, and investors tend to watch the earnings results of automotive powertrain supplier BorgWarner Inc. (NYSE:BWA) for clues on where carmakers are heading. Let's take a look a closer look at the earnings

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Jones Lang LaSalle Earnings Analysis

Commercial property services company Jones Lang LaSalle Inc (NYSE:JLL) produced a solid set of first-quarter results on Friday and affirmed its full-year guidance. That said, investors will be wondering just how a 21% increase in fee revenue translated into a 12.9% drop in adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), let alone a 45.1% decline in adjusted diluted EPS. Wait no further to find out.

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Key Takeaways From United Technologies Earnings

One of the advantages of owning a stock trading at a discount to its peers comes from the notion that all the company has to do is report an OK-looking set of results and investors are likely to reward it. In this context, I would argue that although United Technologies Corporation's (NYSE:UTX) recent first-quarter results were good enough to satisfy investors, they contained a mix of positives and negatives. That said, here are the key takeaways from the earnings so you can make up your own mind.

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Illinois Tool Works Earnings Analysis

In general, it's been a good reporting season for industrial companies, and the results from diversified industrials such as Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW) and 3M Co.(NYSE:MMM) stand out in particular. Both companies raised their full-year earnings and organic revenue forecasts and served notice of improving end markets. That said, both stocks now trade at valuations that are definitely not cheap on a historical basis.

Let's look at the key takeaways from Illinois Tool Works' recent earnings report and determine whether there's enough here to take the stock higher in 2017.

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