Seeking Alpha: Still Waiting For A Better Entry Point On Innospec

When you find a chemicals company that can routinely post double-digit returns on assets and invested capital, it's worth paying attention. Likewise, not many $1 billion companies can get meaningful share in markets when competing against behemoths like the chemical operations of Exxon Mobil (XOM) and Chevron (CVX), or Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK.A) Lubrizol. Now, with Innospec (IOSP) making it clear that growing its oilfield chemicals business is a priority, I'd say the story is getting better.

Valuation still remains an issue. I've liked Innospec as a company for quite some time, but as I observed about six months ago, the valuation was and is fairly demanding. The stock hasn't done much in the interim, and I'm likewise concerned that investors buying today may be facing a wait as the company "grows into" its valuation and as the market expects more moves to build the oilfield operations.

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Still Waiting For A Better Entry Point On Innospec

Seeking Alpha: Innospec Looking To The Next Run

Specialty chemical company Innospec (IOSP) has been quite the stock over recent years. Up almost 40% over the last year, over 60% over the past two years, and over 600% over the last five years, Innospec has done a good job of leveraging its solid share in fuel additives and surfactants used in personal care products. Along the way, Innospec has also uncovered a pretty interesting growth opportunity in drilling/oilfield chemicals that could ultimately increase its addressable revenue opportunities by several times.

The only "but" in the story is the valuation. As strong as the markets have been, this is a familiar lament (particularly from value-oriented investors like me) and certainly not exclusive to Innospec. On one hand, I do recognize that this company is well-positioned to out-grow the average specialty chemicals company and continue to generate good margins and returns on capital. On the other hand, you do have to stretch the growth estimates and/or multiples to generate an attractive price target today.

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Innospec Looking To The Next Run

Investopedia: Innospec Might Be A Name To Watch In Specialty Chemicals

It seems a little strange that a specialty chemicals business with $750 million in annual sales and strong returns on capital would be a virtual unknown, but that's the case for Innospec (Nasdaq:IOSP). Although this is a company with input cost exposure and somewhat volatile free cash flow, investors may want to keep an eye on this name as a potential value in the sector.

Addressing Huge Markets for Specialty Chemicals  
Broadly speaking, the markets for fuel additives and chemicals used in personal care products are huge. While there are many competitors, including major chemical companies like DuPont (NYSE:DD), Dow (NYSE:DOW) and BASF, this is nevertheless a market where offering the right proprietary product can drive premium pricing and reliable business.

Read more here:
http://stocks.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/2012/Innospec-Might-Be-A-Name-To-Watch-In-Specialty-Chemicals-IOSP-DOW-DD-RDS-B0313.aspx

FinancialEdge: Why Warren Buffett Might Not Be Buying Stocks

Nearly everyone in the market pays some attention to Berkshire Hathaway's (NYSE:BRK.A) multi-billionaire chief Warren Buffett. However, Mr. Buffett is often quite cryptic about exactly what he is looking to do in terms of investments. Consequently, investors, financial journalists and commentators cannot wait to pore over the snippets of information that do come out in filings to the SEC, interviews and his annual letter to shareholders. (This esteemed investor rarely changes his long-term investing strategy, no matter what the market does. Check out Warren Buffett's Bear Market Maneuvers.)

Given all those information sources, it looks like Mr. Buffett may have hit the "pause" button when it comes to buying stocks. His most recent letter really did not mention stocks to the same degree as in the past, and the most recent filings indicated that he sold eight stocks in the fourth quarter of 2010 while taking no new positions. Why might Mr. Buffett be staying away from stocks right now?

Go Big or Go Home
Warren Buffett has the same problem as many large fund managers - the larger the assets under management get, the harder it is to find meaningful new opportunities. What's more, Mr. Buffett is famous for a KISS-type methodology (Keep It Simple, Stupid) that argues against holding dozens and dozens of positions.

To read the full piece, please go to:
http://financialedge.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0311/Why-Warren-Buffett-Might-Not-Be-Buying-Stocks.aspx

Investopedia: Buffett Brings Lubrizol Into The Fold

Buffett-spotting is practically a cottage industry in the financial media, as is predicting the next thing that the Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.A) CEO is going to buy. These predictions tend to be consistently off the mark, though, and so there is almost always an element of surprise to Buffett's next buy. So too was it with Monday's announcement that Berkshire Hathaway would acquire Lubrizol (NYSE:LZ) - while the deal makes a great deal of sense, precious few people were publicly predicting this one. (Check out some of Buffett's other surprise picks in 4 Lesser-Known Companies Buffett Owns.)

Berkshire Hathaway Buys Lubrizol  

Buffett is striking the kind of deal here that he prefers - an all-cash transaction for 100% control. Berkshire Hathaway will be paying $135 per share in cash for all of Lubrizol's outstanding shares. Including Lubrizol's net debt, this is a $9.7 billion transaction for Berkshire Hathaway - and a 28% premium for Lubrizol shareholders. All in all, shareholders who bought or held Lubrizol through the worst of the recession have seen these shares come back more than fives times over since early 2009.

What Berkshire Hathaway Is Getting 

Lubrizol is a chemical company, but it is not so much a commodity player like Huntsman (NYSE:HUN) or Westlake (NYSE:WLK). Instead, Lubrizol focuses on additives and advanced materials. Lubrizol has a leading share in additives for products like motor oil, gear oils and transmission fluids, as well as significant businesses in engineered polymers, performance coatings, and so on.

Although many chemical companies struggle to attain a double-digit return on equity, let alone maintain it, Lubrizol has done quite well by this metric. Likewise, although Lubrizol was not immune to the effects of the recession, the company has shown a relatively uncommon ability to deliver consistent revenue growth compared to other chemical companies. (For more, see How Return On Equity Can Help You Find Profitable Stocks.)

Please continue to the full piece:
http://stocks.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/2011/Buffett-Brings-Lubrizol-Into-The-Fold-BRK.A-LZ-DD-ALB-FUL-ACET-CYT0314.aspx

A Few Fruits From This Week's Research

When you're a stock junkie (to say nothing of a financial writer), you're pretty much always doing stock research. Sometimes you go a while before finding good ideas, and then sometimes you find them in bunches.

This week turned up a few interesting tidbits, as I was looking mostly at the chemicals sector.

Goodyear (GT) - Analysts seem to like this one, and it was up more than 10% in the past week. But a tire company? Really? Sure, the EV/EBITDA ratio isn't bad, but this company's historical ability to produce real returns (ROIC) isn't very good.

Aceto (ACET) - I like the idea of a company that makes the chemical underpinnings of pharmaceuticals, particularly generics. By and large, these guys don't mess with the legal patent wrangling like a TEVA. The EV/EBITDA is on the high side, but this one looks interesting.

Calgon Carbon (CCC) - Wow. Great business and decent returns on capital, but a pretty poor long-term record of growth and doesn't look at all cheap to me (though the analysts seem to like it well enough).

Hexcel (HXL) - Nice story (carbon fiber for Boeing and Airbus), but I can't even get close to making this one work on a valuation basis.

Lubrizol (LZ) - Am I the only one who didn't know this company was producing double-digit ROICs, good growth, and a strong free cash flow yield? Unfortunately, as much as the company looks like a winner, the stock seems to be there already.

Metabolix (MBLX) - You either win big or lose big. It's a nice idea, making plastics out of corn, switchgrass, and the like, but valuation is an exercise in faith. Treat it like a biotech. I probably should go back and double-check the IP here, because that will be the real deciding factor.

Methanex (MEOH) - I was shocked at how cheap this one looks when I value it by a forward EBITDA basis. It's been a volatile commodity business in the past, but they have a lot of unused capacity (good for margins if volumes go up) and China seems poised to use a lot more methanol.

Sigma Aldrich (SIAL) - Great company. No bargain in the stock, though.

Huntsman (HUN) - Hmmm. This one could be interesting. It's a diversified chemicals business, but a little less commoditized than your average commodity business. This one could be worth a closer look.

Landec (LNDC) - This was a popular "little known" growth stock a few years ago. It was supposed to be a company that "looked like a commodity business, but really wasn't". Guess what? It was. At least enough to knock the wind out of its sales. I'm intrigued, though, and if my numbers are right this could be a cheap one.

And so ends the gleanings from this week's research. There were a lot more names I looked at, but I feel like 10 at a time is about all anybody wants to read about.

Happy hunting!