Cummins Inc Stock Buy Recommendation Reiterated (CMI)

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.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Cummins (NYSE:CMI) has been reiterated by TheStreet Ratings as a buy with a ratings score of A- . The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, good cash flow from operations, attractive valuation levels and notable return on equity. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had lackluster performance in the stock itself.

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Highlights from the ratings report include:

• CMI's debt-to-equity ratio is very low at 0.12 and is currently below that of the industry average, implying that there has been very successful management of debt levels. Along with the favorable debt-to-equity ratio, the company maintains an adequate quick ratio of 1.38, which illustrates the ability to avoid short-term cash problems.
• Net operating cash flow has slightly increased to $745.00 million or 5.67% when compared to the same quarter last year. Despite an increase in cash flow, CUMMINS INC's cash flow growth rate is still lower than the industry average growth rate of 17.80%.
• CUMMINS INC's earnings per share declined by 31.8% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. The company has suffered a declining pattern of earnings per share over the past year. However, we anticipate this trend reversing over the coming year. During the past fiscal year, CUMMINS INC reported lower earnings of $8.66 versus $9.56 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($8.81 versus $8.66).
• CMI, with its decline in revenue, slightly underperformed the industry average of 12.5%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues fell by 12.7%. Weakness in the company's revenue seems to have hurt the bottom line, decreasing earnings per share.

Cummins Inc. designs, manufactures, distributes, and services diesel and natural gas engines, and engine-related component products. It operates in four segments: Engine, Components, Power Generation, and Distribution. Cummins has a market cap of $21.84 billion and is part of the industrial goods sector and industrial industry. The company has a P/E ratio of 13.3, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 5.3% year to date as of the close of trading on Monday.

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

--Written by a member of TheStreet Ratings Staff.

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