Markets
News
Analysis
User
24/7
Economic Calendar
Education
Data
- Names
- Latest
- Prev
A:--
F: --
A:--
F: --
A:--
F: --
A:--
F: --
A:--
F: --
P: --
A:--
F: --
P: --
A:--
F: --
P: --
A:--
F: --
P: --
A:--
F: --
P: --
A:--
F: --
A:--
F: --
A:--
F: --
P: --
A:--
F: --
P: --
A:--
F: --
P: --
A:--
F: --
P: --
A:--
F: --
P: --
A:--
F: --
P: --
A:--
F: --
P: --
A:--
F: --
P: --
A:--
F: --
P: --
A:--
F: --
P: --
A:--
F: --
P: --
A:--
F: --
P: --
A:--
F: --
P: --
A:--
F: --
P: --
A:--
F: --
P: --
A:--
F: --
P: --
A:--
F: --
P: --
A:--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
--
F: --
P: --
No matching data
Latest Views
Latest Views
Trending Topics
To quickly learn market dynamics and follow market focuses in 15 min.
In the world of mankind, there will not be a statement without any position, nor a remark without any purpose.
Inflation, exchange rates, and the economy shape the policy decisions of central banks; the attitudes and words of central bank officials also influence the actions of market traders.
Money makes the world go round and currency is a permanent commodity. The forex market is full of surprises and expectations.
Top Columnists
Enjoy exciting activities, right here at FastBull.
The latest breaking news and the global financial events.
I have 5 years of experience in financial analysis, especially in aspects of macro developments and medium and long-term trend judgment. My focus is maily on the developments of the Middle East, emerging markets, coal, wheat and other agricultural products.
BeingTrader chief Trading Coach & Speaker, 8+ years of experience in the forex market trading mainly XAUUSD, EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, and Crude Oil. A confident trader and analyst who aims to explore various opportunities and guide investors in the market. As an analyst I am looking to enhance the trader’s experience by supporting them with sufficient data and signals.
Latest Update
Risk Warning on Trading HK Stocks
Despite Hong Kong's robust legal and regulatory framework, its stock market still faces unique risks and challenges, such as currency fluctuations due to the Hong Kong dollar's peg to the US dollar and the impact of mainland China's policy changes and economic conditions on Hong Kong stocks.
HK Stock Trading Fees and Taxation
Trading costs in the Hong Kong stock market include transaction fees, stamp duty, settlement charges, and currency conversion fees for foreign investors. Additionally, taxes may apply based on local regulations.
HK Non-Essential Consumer Goods Industry
The Hong Kong stock market encompasses non-essential consumption sectors like automotive, education, tourism, catering, and apparel. Of the 643 listed companies, 35% are mainland Chinese, making up 65% of the total market capitalization. Thus, it's heavily influenced by the Chinese economy.
HK Real Estate Industry
In recent years, the real estate and construction sector's share in the Hong Kong stock index has notably decreased. Nevertheless, as of 2022, it retains around 10% market share, covering real estate development, construction engineering, investment, and property management.
Hongkong, China
Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Dubai, UAE
Lagos, Nigeria
Cairo, Egypt
White Label
Data API
Web Plug-ins
Affiliate Program
View All
No data
Not Logged In
Log in to access more features
FastBull Membership
Not yet
Purchase
Log In
Sign Up
Hongkong, China
Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Dubai, UAE
Lagos, Nigeria
Cairo, Egypt
White Label
Data API
Web Plug-ins
Affiliate Program
Honeywell International Inc. HON recently announced its partnership with SAMSUNG E&A to mutually market a solution designed for minimizing carbon emissions in the power plant sector throughout the world. The collaboration is in line with Honeywell’s commitment to expanding its portfolio to keep up with the energy transition megatrend.
HON’s share price inched down 0.2% yesterday, eventually closing the session at $204.24.
More on HON’s Partnership
The collaboration will involve SAMSUNG E&A leveraging Honeywell's advanced solvent carbon capture technology to enable power plants to meet environmental regulatory compliances. The deployment of HON’s carbon capture technologies will enable SAMSUNG E&A to offer a viable and sustainable solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Honeywell’s carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies help users to minimize carbon dioxide emissions during the transition from fossil fuels to lower-carbon energy sources. Between 2023 and 2030, HON expects its CCUS technologies to mitigate 320 million metric tons of carbon dioxide on a global basis.
HON’s Zacks Rank & Price Performance
Honeywell, with approximately $131.5 billion market capitalization, currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). The company is set to gain from strength in its commercial aviation aftermarket and original equipment. However, softness in its Industrial Automation segment remains a concern.
In the past six months, the company’s shares have gained 2.6% against the industry’s 4.5% decline.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $10.14 per share for 2024, indicating a decrease of a penny from the 30-day-ago figure.
Stocks to Consider
Some better-ranked companies from the same space are discussed below.
Federal Signal Corporation FSS currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Federal Signal delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 12.3%. In the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for FSS’ 2024 earnings has increased 5.2%.
Vector Group Ltd. VGR presently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. The company delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 15.4%.
In the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for VGR’s 2024 earnings has increased 5.2%.
Parker-Hannifin Corporation PH currently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. PH delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 11.2%.
In the past 60 days, the consensus estimate for Parker-Hannifin’s fiscal 2025 earnings has increased 1.3%.
Zacks Investment Research
The Conglomerates group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Is Sumitomo Corp. (SSUMY) one of those stocks right now? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Conglomerates peers, we might be able to answer that question.
Sumitomo Corp. is one of 24 individual stocks in the Conglomerates sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #1 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different groups, measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the sector to gauge the strength of each group.
The Zacks Rank is a successful stock-picking model that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions. The system highlights a number of different stocks that could be poised to outperform the broader market over the next one to three months. Sumitomo Corp. is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for SSUMY's full-year earnings has moved 4.7% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.
Based on the latest available data, SSUMY has gained about 2.6% so far this year. Meanwhile, the Conglomerates sector has returned an average of -6.6% on a year-to-date basis. This shows that Sumitomo Corp. is outperforming its peers so far this year.
One other Conglomerates stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Vector Group (VGR). The stock is up 32.2% year-to-date.
Over the past three months, Vector Group's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 5.2%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Breaking things down more, Sumitomo Corp. is a member of the Diversified Operations industry, which includes 24 individual companies and currently sits at #42 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have lost about 6.6% so far this year, so SSUMY is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns. Vector Group is also part of the same industry.
Investors interested in the Conglomerates sector may want to keep a close eye on Sumitomo Corp. and Vector Group as they attempt to continue their solid performance.
Zacks Investment Research
Xylem Inc. XYL is well-poised for growth in the coming quarters, courtesy of its businesses and accretive acquisitions. The company's efforts to reward its shareholders add to its appeal.
Headquartered in Rye Brook, NY, Xylem is one of the leading providers of water solutions worldwide. It is involved in the full water-process cycle, including the collection, distribution and return of water to the environment. XYL has a significant presence in the United States, the Asia Pacific, Europe and various other nations. Over the past year, this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company has gained 40.4% compared with the industry’s 26.8% growth.
Let’s discuss the factors that might influence investors to retain this stock in their portfolio for the time being.
Business Strength: Xylem is seeing growth across most of its businesses. The Measurement & Control Solutions ("M&CS") segment is benefiting from robust demand for advanced technology solutions like smart metering and other applications, primarily in the United States. The segment’s organic sales were up 26% year over year, driven by smart metering demand and execution.
Growth in the transport application business, driven by a strong pipeline of capital projects in Western Europe and increased infrastructure projects in the United States, is boosting the Water Infrastructure segment’s performance. Strong momentum in the treatment applications business, supported by increasing capital projects in emerging markets, also bodes well. The segment’s organic sales increased 7% year over year in the second quarter, buoyed by price realization and growth across all regions and applications.
Strength in dewatering business across major markets (particularly in the United States and emerging regions), driven by increased sales volume and favorable pricing, is a key catalyst to the Water Solutions and Services segment’s growth. The segment’s organic sales grew 12% year over year in the second quarter, supported by higher capital project revenues and gains in integrated solutions and services in the United States.
Expansion Efforts: The company solidifies its product portfolio and leverages business opportunities through asset additions. Acquisitions contributed $265 million to Xylem’s total revenues in the second quarter. The company acquired mission-critical water treatment solutions and services provider Evoqua in May 2023.
Evoqua’s advanced water and wastewater treatment capabilities and position in key industrial markets complement Xylem’s portfolio of solutions across the water cycle. The acquisition boosted its position in water technologies, solutions and services. The transaction is expected to deliver run-rate cost synergies of $140 million within three years upon closing. It is also expected to strengthen the company’s balance sheet.
Rewards to Shareholders: Xylem’s commitment to rewarding shareholders through dividends and share buybacks is encouraging. In the first six months of 2024, it paid dividends of $175 million, up 25.9% year over year. The company also bought back shares worth $18 million in the same period. In February 2024, it hiked its dividend by 9%. Also, in 2023, Xylem paid out dividends worth $299 million and bought back shares worth $25 million.
Downsides of Xylem
Segmental Weakness: Xylem has been experiencing weakness in the Applied Water segment owing to the slowdown in the broader economy. In July 2024, the Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index registered 48.5%, indicating a contraction in U.S. manufacturing activity for the third consecutive month. The impact of this slowdown is reflected in the decrease in demand for industrial and building solutions applications, including pumps, valves, heat exchangers, controls and dispensing equipment.
Amid these challenges, the segment’s second-quarter revenues declined 5% on a year-over-year basis in the second quarter. A reduced number of project wins is likely to impact its performance in the near term.
Rising Costs: Xylem has been grappling with the adverse impacts of cost inflation. In the second quarter, its cost of revenues increased 26.1% year over year due to high raw material, labor, freight and overhead costs. Selling, general and administrative expenses rose 8.7% due to additional operational expenditure from the acquisition of Evoqua. Escalating costs pose a threat to the bottom line.
Stocks to Consider
Some better-ranked companies from the same space are discussed below.
Flowserve Corporation FLS currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
FLS delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 18.2%. In the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Flowserve’s 2024 earnings has increased 3.8%.
Crane Company CR presently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. The company delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 11.2%.
In the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for CR’s 2024 earnings has increased 2%.
Parker-Hannifin Corporation PH currently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. PH delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 2.6%.
In the past 60 days, the consensus estimate for Parker-Hannifin’s fiscal 2025 earnings has increased 1.3%.
Zacks Investment Research
Shares of 3M Company MMM are showing impressive gains of late, trading close to its 52-week high of $135.28. The stock closed at $134.61 (on Monday), just 0.5% below the highest point. In the past three months, the conglomerate giant’s shares have surged 33.5%, outpacing the Zacks Diversified Operations industry’s decline of 8.2% and the S&P 500’s growth of 2.2%. The company has also outperformed other industry players like Danaher Corporation DHR and ITT Inc. ITT, which have returned 7.2% and 3.6%, respectively, over the said time frame.
MMM Outperforms Industry, Sector & S&P 500
The stock is also trading above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, indicating solid upward momentum and price stability. This reflects a positive market sentiment and confidence in the company's financial health and long-term prospects.
3M Shares Trade Above 50-Day and 200-Day SMA
Factors Favoring the Company
3M has been benefiting from persistent strength in the Transportation and Electronics segment, driven by solid momentum in electronics, automotive and aerospace, commercial branding and transportation end markets. Continued channel inventory normalization, supported by strong growth in electronics demand, is aiding the segment’s performance.
Solid demand environment in the automotive electrification market and growth in auto OEM (original equipment manufacturer) build rates are expected to augur well for the Transportation and Electronics segment in the quarters ahead. Organic revenues grew 3.3% year over year in the second quarter of 2024.
The company’s Safety and Industrial segment has also been benefiting from a recovery in demand across most of the end markets. This improvement is primarily pronounced in businesses like industrial adhesives & tapes, personal safety and automotive aftermarket. The segment’s organic revenues improved 1.1% year over year in the second quarter of 2024, following declines in the previous two quarters.
3M has been undertaking structural reorganization actions to reduce operational costs and improve margins and cash flow in the long term. These include streamlining geographic footprint, simplifying supply chain and optimizing manufacturing roles to align with production volumes.
The company expects these actions to be completed by 2025 and yield annual pre-tax savings. In the second quarter of 2024, these restructuring actions, along with strong organic volume, raised 3M’s adjusted operating margin by 440 basis points year over year to 21.6%.
The company also remains committed to increasing shareholders’ value through dividend payouts and share repurchases. For instance, in the first six months of 2024, it paid dividends worth $1.2 billion and repurchased shares for $421 million. Exiting the second quarter, the company had $3.8 billion remaining under the share repurchase program. Also, it hiked its quarterly dividend by 1% in February 2024.
Better-Than-Industry Returns
MMM’s trailing 12-month return on equity (ROE) is indicative of its growth potential. ROE for the trailing 12 months is 112.92%, much higher than the industry’s 31.32%. This reflects the company’s efficient usage of shareholder funds.
Earnings Estimate Revision
Earnings estimates for 3M have moved north over the past 60 days, reflecting analysts’ optimism.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2024 earnings is pegged at $7.22 per share, suggesting year-over-year growth of 0.7%. The consensus mark for 2025 earnings is pinned at $7.84 per share, indicating a year-over-year increase of 0.5%. As earnings estimates increase, the stock is likely to follow suit.
What’s Hurting the Stock?
Despite the positives, the company has been experiencing weakness in the consumer retail end markets, owing to a decrease in consumer discretionary spending. This is reflected in the Consumer segment’s revenues, which declined 2.4% in the second quarter.
There was a particular weakness in packaging and expression as well as home and auto care businesses. 3M expects consumer retail discretionary spending on hardline goods to remain muted for the rest of the year, which is likely to hurt its overall performance.
High debt levels have also been concerning. 3M exited the second quarter with a long-term debt of $11.8 billion, while its short-term borrowings and current portion of long-term debt totaled $1.3 billion.
Also, interest expenses in the second quarter remained high at $322 million, reflecting an increase of 123.6% on a year-over-year basis. It’s worth noting that 3M’s long-term debt-to-capital ratio is 74.7%, much higher than the industry’s 26.6%.
Stock Valuation
MMM’s lofty valuation remains a concern. The stock trades at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 17.57X, higher than the S&P 500’s average of 15.02X. This elevated valuation could make the stock vulnerable to further pullbacks if market sentiment sours. However, the stock is cheap compared with its peer, Honeywell International Inc. HON, which is trading at 18.83X.
Our Final Take
Given the promising long-term prospects and solid return on equity, maintaining a position in 3M appears prudent at present. This stance reflects confidence in MMM's growth trajectory and its potential to deliver sustained value to investors over time. 3M carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at present.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Zacks Investment Research
Markel Group Inc. MKL shares have gained 11% in the year-to-date period against the industry’s decline of 8.8%. Currently priced at $1,574.83, the stock is below its 52-week high of $1,670.24. This proximity underscores investor confidence and market optimism about this insurance company’s prospects.
MKL Outperforms Industry
Earnings of Markel Group grew 46.2% in the last five years, better than the industry average of 14.4%. MKL has a solid surprise history. It surpassed earnings estimates in two of the last four quarters while missing in the other two, the average being 35.4%.
MKL Trading Above 50-Day Moving Average
The stock is trading above its 50-day and 200-day simple moving average (SMA) of $1,564.30 and $1,512.55, respectively, indicating solid upward momentum. SMA is a widely used technical analysis tool to predict future price trends by analyzing historical price data.
Mixed Analyst Sentiment for MKL
Three of the five analysts covering the stock have raised estimates for 2024 and one of the six analysts has raised estimates for 2024 over the past 30 days. Two analysts have lowered estimates for 2025.
The consensus estimate for 2024 and 2025 earnings indicates an improvement of 3.6% and 0.1%, respectively.
While the consensus estimate for 2024 indicates a 39.3% decline from the year-ago reported figure, the consensus estimate for 2025 indicates an increase of 12.4%.
Markel Group’s Favorable Return on Capital
MKL’s return on invested capital (ROIC) has increased every year. This reflects MKL’s efficiency in utilizing funds to generate income. ROIC in the trailing 12 months was 7.7%, higher than the industry average of 3.6%.
Factors Benefiting MKL Stock
MKL has been generating improved premiums. An improvement in new business volume, strong retention levels, continued increases in rates and expanded product offerings should help the insurer retain the momentum.
Investment income should continue to benefit from an improving rate environment, higher interest income on cash equivalents, fixed maturity securities and short-term investments due to higher yields.
Markel Group considers strategic buyouts a prudent approach to ramp up its growth profile. Acquisitions have helped the company enhance its surety capabilities, ramp up Markel Ventures’ revenues and expand its reinsurance product offerings. The insurer has been pursuing acquisitions to achieve profitable growth in insurance operations and create additional value on a diversified basis in Markel Ventures’ operations.
Higher revenues at construction services and transportation-related businesses due to a combination of increased demand, higher prices and growth, as well as a rise in production at one of the equipment manufacturing businesses, are expected to boost operating revenues. The increase also reflected a full-year contribution from Metromont.
Distribution of Wealth
Banking on a strong capital position, the company engages in share buybacks, a prudent way to distribute wealth to its shareholders. However, it presently prefers to invest in organic growth initiatives for its Insurance business. The company has a share repurchase program authorized by the board to buy back up to $750 million of shares. As of June 30, 2024, $456.2 million remained available for repurchases under the program. Also, given its solid cash position of $3.5 billion, the company should not face any difficulty in meeting short-term obligations.
Risks for Markel Group
However, Markel Group is exposed to catastrophe loss, inducing volatility in underwriting results. Exposure to cat loss always remains a concern, given its unprecedented nature. Also, the company has been experiencing an increase in operating expenses due to higher losses and loss adjustment expenses, underwriting, acquisition and insurance expenses. MKL should strive to ensure that growth in total revenues outpaces the rise in expenses. Otherwise, the operating margin is likely to suffer.
MKL Shares Are Affordable
Markel Group is trading at a discount compared with the industry average. It presents a compelling investment opportunity with its attractive forward 12-month price-to-book ratio of 1.33X, lower than the industry average of 4.19X. Also, it has a Value Score of A.
However, shares of other players from the same space, such as 3M Company MMM, Honeywell International Inc. HON and Griffon Corporation GFF, are trading at a premium compared with the industry’s average.
Final Take on MKL
Given the company's strong stock performance, solid retention levels, an improving rate environment, favorable growth estimates and solid capital position, current shareholders may find it wise to hold onto MKL shares. Markel Group's new business volume, prudent capital deployment and affordability of the stock present significant growth opportunities. Markel Group currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Zacks Investment Research
Sept 16 (Reuters) - Church & Dwight CHD.N said on Monday that its CEO Matthew Farrell will step down, ending a nearly two-decade stint at the condom maker, and finance chief Rick Dierker will take over the top executive's responsibilities.
The executive change comes as consumer goods companies such as Church & Dwight have been hiking their prices in a bid to defend their profit margins against higher costs in recent years.
Last month, the Trojan condom maker said it expects full-year sales and profit at the lower end of its previous forecast due to consumer hesitancy on spending for its higher-priced household and personal care products.
Rick Dierker, who currently serves as CFO will be promoted to the CEO position on March 31 next year. He has held various positions in an over 15-year stint at the Therabreath mouthwash maker, and took over the finance chief role in 2016.
Matt Farrell started out as the company's CFO in 2006, and has held executive positions at AlliedSignal, which adopted the Honeywell HON.Oname after taking it over in 1999.
The company said Farrell will continue to serve as chairman of the board for a transition period.
(Reporting by Puyaan Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)
(( Puyaan.Singh@thomsonreuters.com ))
Keywords: CHURCH & DWIGHT-CEO/
White Label
Data API
Web Plug-ins
Poster Maker
Affiliate Program
The risk of loss in trading financial instruments such as stocks, FX, commodities, futures, bonds, ETFs and crypto can be substantial. You may sustain a total loss of the funds that you deposit with your broker. Therefore, you should carefully consider whether such trading is suitable for you in light of your circumstances and financial resources.
No decision to invest should be made without thoroughly conducting due diligence by yourself or consulting with your financial advisors. Our web content might not suit you since we don't know your financial conditions and investment needs. Our financial information might have latency or contain inaccuracy, so you should be fully responsible for any of your trading and investment decisions. The company will not be responsible for your capital loss.
Without getting permission from the website, you are not allowed to copy the website's graphics, texts, or trademarks. Intellectual property rights in the content or data incorporated into this website belong to its providers and exchange merchants.