Pentair Inc. (PNR): Today's Featured Industrial Goods Laggard

Pentair ( PNR) pushed the Industrial Goods sector lower today making it today's featured Industrial Goods laggard. The sector as a whole closed the day up 0.8%. By the end of trading, Pentair fell 49 cents (-1.1%) to $42.97 on average volume. Throughout the day, 1.2 million shares of Pentair exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 872,400 shares. The stock ranged in price between $42.94-$43.65 after having opened the day at $43.48 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $43.46. Other companies within the Industrial Goods sector that declined today were: Broadwind Energy ( BWEN), down 11.1%, China Advanced Construction Materials Group ( CADC), down 8.5%, American Woodmark Corporation ( AMWD), down 5.6%, and Briggs & Stratton Corporation ( BGG), down 4.9%.

Pentair, Inc. operates as a diversified industrial manufacturing company worldwide. Pentair has a market cap of $4.36 billion and is part of the industrial industry. The company has a P/E ratio of 89.6, below the average industrial industry P/E ratio of 91.5 and above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 31.9% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday. Currently there are five analysts that rate Pentair a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and six rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Pentair as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, good cash flow from operations, expanding profit margins, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and solid stock price performance. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had somewhat disappointing return on equity.

On the positive front, Robbins & Myers Incorporated ( RBN), up 27.4%, A123 Systems ( AONE), up 22.6%, Middleby Corporation ( MIDD), up 13.5%, and Presstek ( PRST), up 13.3%, were all gainers within the industrial goods sector with Precision Castparts ( PCP) being today's featured industrial goods sector leader.

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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