Seeking Alpha: Stronger Organic Growth Has Investors Excited About Colfax

There are definitely some valid reasons to like Colfax (CFX). Not only is this industrial conglomerate explicitly looking to replicate much of the successful Danaher model, the company has the highest leverage to emerging markets of almost any peer and is likewise leveraged to industries like power generation and oil/gas/petrochemicals where capital expenditures should be strong for several years.

There is a point where enough's enough, though. Colfax shares seem to be pricing in FCF growth of close to 16% (including the recent acquisition of Victor Technologies) and trade at more than 14x 2014 EBITDA estimates. Even allowing that Colfax can be a revenue and profit growth leader in the industrial sector over the next few years, that seems like a steep price to pay.

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Stronger Organic Growth Has Investors Excited About Colfax

Seeking Alpha: Dresser-Rand Caught In A Move Toward More Capital Discipline

Whenever large energy companies like Exxon Mobil (XOM) start embracing the virtues of disciplined capital spending and managing for returns instead of growth, it's seldom good news for equipment providers. That may be oversimplifying the challenges that Dresser-Rand (DRC) is facing, but it looks as though delays in upstream projects are having a real impact on the business. This year may prove to be a year where large energy concerns "digest" what they already have in progress, but it is hard to call Dresser-Rand cheap, even if orders do start to pick up again later this year and into 2015.

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Dresser-Rand Caught In A Move Toward More Capital Discipline

Investopedia: Is Cameron Seeing The Beginning Of The End, Or The End Of The Beginning?

In the larger context of offshore energy equipment companies, Cameron's (NYSE:CAM) weak second quarter wasn't unique. Even so, this was the second straight weak quarter at Cameron, and with these stocks trading off of orders (which came up about 20% light) that's a problem. While I continue to believe that Cameron is gearing up for a period of significant revenue, margin, and order growth, I won't pretend that execution risks are now front and center with this story. So though the shares continue to look undervalued, the above-average likely volatility doesn't make them suitable for all investors.

Please read the more here:
http://www.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/072613/cameron-seeing-beginning-end-or-end-beginning-cam-fti-slb-drc-fet.aspx

Investopedia: Is Ingersoll-Rand's Bar Finally Low Enough?

For all the talk of restructurings, initiatives and goals, the reality is that companies generally stay more or less in their historical slots - good companies continue to be good companies and laggards continue to lag. That makes it difficult to have a lot of faith in the idea that Ingersoll-Rand (NYSE:IR) is underpriced and primed to be a solid stock over the long term. Although IR does have some solid businesses, there is just simply no record or habit of outperformance here and investors bet on that at their peril.

Ample Skepticism  
Ingersoll-Rand certainly lives in a tough neighborhood these days, as not only have industrials been weak in general, but those with above-average exposure to areas like construction have had an even tougher go of it. That said, Ingersoll-Rand has still suffered more than most; it's 2011 performance certainly trails the likes of United Technologies (NYSE:UTX), Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI), Honeywell (NYSE:HON) or Dover (NYSE:DOV).

Read the full piece here:
http://stocks.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/2011/Is-Ingersoll-Rands-Bar-Finally-Low-Enough-IR-UTX-JCI-DOV-DRC-LII-WCC1229.aspx

Can The U.S. Switch To Natural Gas?

There is nothing like a big oil spill (or several years of high gasoline prices) to get investors and some environmentalists talking about natural gas again. The arguments have been around for years and go something like this: Natural gas is relatively abundant in the United States, it can offer positive pollution trade-offs to oil and gasoline, and it is the only immediate option with a reasonable chance to supplant imported oil in powering vehicles. 

As another summer has rolled by, however, North America really does not seem all that much closer to the sort of natural gas-fueled future that people like T. Boone Pickens would recommend. Still, for those investors who believe in the possibility, there are a few investment plays to explore while the idea is still in its extended infancy.

To read the complete piece, please go to:
http://stocks.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/2010/Can-The-U.S.-Switch-To-Natural-Gas-UPL-CHK-KMP-CLNE-PTRY-GTLS-DRC-WPZ-PCG0827.aspx