December - 2017

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Wabash National: A Margin Story

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General Electric: What To Look For In 2018

Summary Points: *GE's shares have underperformed the broader market by a wide margin so far in 2017. *I will cover the three things that I will be looking for in 2018, as GE's management team tries to win back the market. *GE is a long-term buy at today's price. General Electric ($GE) is a company that I have closely followed since 2014, and it would be an understatement to say that the stock performance for this storied industrial conglomerate has been a major disappointment

Accenture Deserves A Premium Valuation

Summary Points *ACN beat Q1 2018 analysts' estimates and management raised the company's fiscal 2018 guidance. *ACN shares are richly valued, but I believe that the company's stock deserves to trade at a premium. *ACN shares are a long-term buy at today's price. On December 21, 2017, Accenture ($ACN) reported better-than-expected Q1 2018 earnings and revenues. The company also raised its fiscal 2018 guidance and management now expects to achieve double-digit EPS growth (10-13

Honeywell: As Good As It Gets

Summary Points: *The company's 2018 guidance was well-received by the market. *HON is a best-of-breed industrial company that deserves a 'premium' valuation. *HON shares are a long-term buy at today's price. On December 13, 2017, Honeywell's ($HON) management team held an investor meeting where it provided the company's fiscal 2018 guidance to the financial community. The 2018 guidance and management's commentary were well-received by the market. HON shares are up only ~1% si

KMG Chemicals: The Story Is Playing Out

Summary Points: *KMG shares are outperforming the broader market by a wide margin, and I believe that the outperformance will continue through 2018. *The company reported Q1 2018 results that blew away analyst estimates. *KMG is a long-term buy at today's price. On December 12, 2017, KMG Chemicals ($KMG) stock finished the trading day up 14% after the company reported strong quarterly results to start its new fiscal year. This one-day jump contributed to the already impressiv

Citigroup: The Pain Before The Gain

Summary Points: *The recent news - an anticipated $20B non-cash charge and expectations for a decline in quarterly trading revenue - has caused downward pressure for C shares. *This bank has reported impressive operating results so far in 2017 and its book value is up mid-single digits YoY. *C shares are a long-term buy at today's price. Citigroup ($C) is a bank that has greatly benefited from a positive change in investor sentiment, as shown by the fact that C shares have gr

Bank Of America: Just Stay On The Train

Summary Points *This bank has come a long way since 2010, and it still has a great story to tell. *BAC reported strong Q3 2017 results and the bank is well-positioned for 2018 and beyond. *BAC shares are a long-term buy at today's price. Bank of America ($BAC) shares have greatly outperformed the broader market since Mr. Donald J. Trump was elected to be President, as BAC shares have increased in value by 70% while the S&P 500 is up only 25%. BAC shareholders have rode the Tr

DowDuPont: The Story Keeps Getting Better

Summary Points: *The company reported impressive Q3 2017 results, and management guided for a strong finish to the current year. *This newly created entity has great long-term business prospects and, in my opinion, DWDP's story keeps getting better. *DWDP's shares are a long-term buy at today's price. DowDuPont ($DWDP) has had quite a year, as the newly created entity was finally formed after regulators signed off on the merger between Dow Chemical and DuPont in late-2017. Si

Synchrony Financial: The Company's Bull Case Just Got Stronger

Summary Points *A promising deal with PayPal was announced this week, and it makes SYF's bull case stronger. *Credit quality has been a concern for SYF, but management has started getting out ahead of the issue. *SYF is a long-term buy at today's price. Synchrony Financial's ($SYF) stock has gained steam over the last few months, especially after Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway ($BRK.A) ($BRK.B) disclosed a stake in this private-label credit card company, but the stock pr

AIG: The Hits Just Keep Coming

Summary Points: *The company reported Q3 2017 results that missed the bottom-line estimate by a wide margin. *The reserve hits just keep coming, but this may soon be a thing of the past. *AIG's shares (and TARP warrants) are a long-term buy. American International Group ($AIG) has underperformed the S&P 500 over the last one-, two, and three-year periods. The underperformance has caused many investors to park their money elsewhere, with MetLife ($MET) being a great example, b