Caterpillar Inc (CAT): Today's Featured Industrial Goods Laggard

Editor's Note: 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.

Caterpillar (CAT) pushed the Industrial Goods sector lower today making it today's featured Industrial Goods laggard. The sector as a whole closed the day down 1.4%. By the end of trading, Caterpillar fell $1.36 (-1.6%) to $83.66 on average volume. Throughout the day, 6.2 million shares of Caterpillar exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 7.3 million shares. The stock ranged in price between $83.52-$85.24 after having opened the day at $85.02 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $85.02. Other companies within the Industrial Goods sector that declined today were: Ameresco (AMRC), down 16%, Wowjoint Holdings (BWOW), down 13%, Intellicheck Mobilisa (IDN), down 11.6%, and MagneGas Corporation (MNGA), down 11.1%.

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Caterpillar Inc. manufactures and sells construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives worldwide. Caterpillar has a market cap of $57.6 billion and is part of the conglomerates industry. The company has a P/E ratio of nine, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are down 2.8% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday. Currently there are 10 analysts that rate Caterpillar a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and 11 rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Caterpillar as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, notable return on equity, impressive record of earnings per share growth and compelling growth in net income. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had generally high debt management risk by most measures that we evaluated.

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For investors not wanting singular stock exposure, ETFs may be of interest. Investors who are bullish on the industrial goods sector could consider Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) while those bearish on the industrial goods sector could consider ProShares Short Dow 30 (DOG).

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