MasTec Inc. Stock Upgraded (MTZ)

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- MasTec (NYSE:MTZ) has been upgraded by TheStreet Ratings from hold to buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its robust revenue growth, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and reasonable valuation levels. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income.

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Highlights from the ratings report include:

• The revenue growth came in higher than the industry average of 14.8%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues rose by 25.9%. This growth in revenue does not appear to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, displayed by a decline in earnings per share.
• MASTEC INC's earnings per share declined by 34.6% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. This company has reported somewhat volatile earnings recently. But, we feel it is poised for EPS growth in the coming year. During the past fiscal year, MASTEC INC increased its bottom line by earning $1.23 versus $1.07 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($1.42 versus $1.23).
• Despite currently having a low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, it is higher than that of the industry average, inferring that management of debt levels may need to be evaluated further. Regardless of the somewhat mixed results with the debt-to-equity ratio, the company's quick ratio of 1.19 is sturdy.
• Despite any intermediate fluctuations, we have only bad news to report on this stock's performance over the last year: it has tumbled by 26.38%, worse than the S&P 500's performance. Consistent with the plunge in the stock price, the company's earnings per share are down 34.61% compared to the year-earlier quarter. Looking ahead, the stock's sharp decline over the past year may have been what was needed in order to bring its value into alignment with its fundamentals and others in its industry.

MasTec, Inc., an infrastructure construction company, engages in engineering, building, installing, maintaining, and upgrading energy, communication, and utility infrastructure in North America. The company has a P/E ratio of 14.1, equal to the average materials & construction industry P/E ratio and below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. MasTec has a market cap of $1.29 billion and is part of the industrial goods sector and materials & construction industry. Shares are down 8.4% year to date as of the close of trading on Friday.

You can view the full MasTec Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

-- Written by a member of TheStreet Ratings Staff

TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

For more information on MasTec Inc. click any of the following:

• MasTec Inc. Stock Price

• MasTec Inc. Analyst Ratings

• MasTec Inc. Key Stats & Profile

• MasTec Inc. Earnings

• MasTec Inc. Ratio Comparison

• MasTec Inc. Growth Rates

• MasTec Inc. Balance Sheet

• MasTec Inc. Cash Flow

• MasTec Inc. Income Statement