Thursday, October 10, 2019

Daifuku Emerging As A Major Player In Logistics Automation

Perfect growth stocks don't really exist, and even the best secular growth stories usually see some "turbulence" at some point. So it is with Daifuku (OTC:DFKCY) (OTC:DAIUF) (6383.T), a global leader in material handling that is applying decades of integrated material handling automation experience into the rapidly-growing e-commerce/logistics/warehouse automation market. While Daifuku has an attractive multiyear growth runway as companies increasingly look to automate their warehouse and logistics operations, the company has encountered some near-term challenges in profitably penetrating the U.S. market, while cyclical challenges in autos and electronics create their own challenges.

Daifuku is by no means a perfect story. For starters, it's not an easy stock to buy; I'd recommend owning the Japan-listed shares, but that may not be an option for all investors. I'm also concerned about the cyclicality of its auto and electronics businesses, and while I do believe the company will be able to leverage its capabilities in logistics automation to improve its operating margin profile, its present-day margins are not impressive. All of that said, I believe Daifuku is positioned for exceptional FCF growth in the coming years and the current share price looks like an interesting potential entry point for a secular growth story with long legs.

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Daifuku Emerging As A Major Player In Logistics Automation

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