In the News: General Mills, Realty Income, Energy Transfer

General Mills makes a big deal, Realty Income delivers, while Energy Transfer tries to battle back to even. By Kris Rosemann US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis came out in support of recommendations from the Commerce Department for targeted tariffs on steel and aluminum. While the Defense Department recognizes that imports of low-cost steel (SLX) and aluminum resulting from unfair trading practices undermine national security, it also warns that more broad action could irritate allies. President Trump has until April to decide whether or not to take action on the recommendations from the Commerce Department for tariffs up to 24% and 7.7% on foreign steel and aluminum, respectively. Consumer food product giant General Mills (GIS) made a splash before the … Read more

Commodity Price Pressures Dinging Industrial Bellwether Expectations

By Kris Rosemann Commodity resource prices, while suppressed, are said to be stabilizing, but stabilization at low levels does little good for many operators tied to commodity-based end markets. Such is the case for several industrial giants General Electric (GE), 3M (MMM), and Caterpillar (CAT), all of which have seen their worldwide operations impacted by the effect that a prolonged trough in commodity prices has had on global economic growth, “Industrial Bellwethers Hit by Global Economic Growth Concerns.” We recently highlighted the organic growth pressures industrial bellwether Honeywell (HON) has been experiencing, “Honeywell’s Stock Up 170% Since End of 2009; GE a Better Bet?” and its peers have been echoing its concerns. GE reported third-quarter earnings October 21, and while … Read more

3D Printing: Can We Print Some Stability?

Industrial bellwether and newsletter portfolio holding General Electric’s acquisition of two European 3D printing companies has brought the budding technology back to the fore of investor’s minds. Let’s take a look at some of the major players in the space as well as how the market may develop in coming years. By Kris Rosemann 3D printing may have once seemed like a technology we would only see in a futuristic sci-fi movie, but it is now a reality and has been so for some time. Though it will inevitably revolutionize the $12 trillion global manufacturing market and is one of the highest growth potential areas, plenty of questions remain surrounding the foundation of the industry that continues to be laid, … Read more