Rockwell Automation, Ingersoll-Rand and Parker-Hannifin are Buys

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK), Ingersoll-Rand PLC (NYSE:IR), and Parker-Hannifin Corp. (NYSE:PH) are three industrial companies that have seen their stock prices go up by more than 40% in the last year. Can these stocks maintain an upwards momentum this year? Let's take a brief look at prospects for all three now that earnings reports for the first calendar quarter of 2017 are all in.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE LINKED 

The Investment Case For Buying Parker-Hannifin Stock

Those who follow the industrial sector will know it's outperformed the S&P 500 over the last year. Stocks such as Illinois Tool Works  and 3M Company have delivered market-busting returns, and it's tempting to think that the anticipated recovery in U.S. industrial production in 2017 is already priced in. However, I believe there is still a strong investment thesis for buying into one of the best-performing industrial stocks in 2016: Parker-Hannifin Corporation.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE LINKED

Time to Buy Parker-Hannifan Stock?

In the universe of stocks loosely described as "diversified industrial cyclicals", Parker-Hannifin (NYSE:PH) stands out as an intriguing value proposition. In truth, it's been an odd year for the sector: Forecasts for industrial production growth in 2016 have turned negative, while oil and gas capital expenditures continue to disappoint. Case in point, General Electric (NYSE:GE) was the latest to trim full-year revenue guidance on weak oil & gas markets -- but diversified industrials have soared. Let's take a closer look at Parker-Hannifin, and consider what you need to know before deciding whether or not to buy the stock.

READ THE FULL EQUITY RESEARCH ARTICLE LINKED

How to Invest in the Industrial Equipment Sector

If you have wondered how to play the anticipated resurgence in manufacturing in the U.S., the industrial equipment industry could be the place to look for stocks to buy. The logic behind this view is simple: If the economy is flourishing, manufacturing companies will look to expand capacity and spending on capital machinery will increase. At this stage general industrial equipment companies such as Siemens, ABB (NYSE: ABB  ) , Parker-Hannifin (NYSE: PH  ) , Honeywell International (NYSE: HON  ) , and Emerson Electric (NYSE: EMR  )  start to look attractive. Investors should also consider more niche market players such as vision machine company Cognex (NASDAQ: CGNX  ) or Roper Industries (NYSE: ROP  ) . It's time to look closer at the industry.

Source: Motley Fool Flickr Account.

What is the industrial equipment industry?

In essence, the industry represents any item of capital machinery that is sold to an industrial company in order to enable its manufacturing or processing activity. While this traditionally means hardware, investors should recognize that software and information technology are becoming an increasing part of the industry.


READ THE FULL ARTICLE LINKED HERE