Browse by ▼

Howard Rothman

All Posts

  • Year-to-Date Results Rekindle Ethanol Optimism

    By Howard Rothman - May 17, 2013 | Tickers: ADM, GPRE, PEIX, VLO

    It’s been a challenging stretch for the domestic ethanol industry. “One of the toughest,” according to the Wall Street Journal, “in its three-decade history.” Recent events, though, have led even some of the fuel’s harshest critics to concede there could be a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.

    If indeed there is good news, the beleaguered industry and its supporters will gladly take it. Cascading more »

  • Automakers Rev Up in China as European Demand Crashes

    By Howard Rothman - May 16, 2013 | Tickers: F, GM, HMC, TM

    More than a few analysts have expressed concern that official austerity measures and a slowing economy could put the brakes on China’s high-speed auto sales. So far, however, they’re still rolling along at a decent clip. In response, automakers are doubling down there to make up for weakening demand in Europe.

    China topped the U.S. in overall auto sales in 2009 and surpassed Europe in 2012. Although more »

  • Rails Turning on to Natural Gas

    By Howard Rothman - May 13, 2013 | Tickers: BRK-B, CNI, CSX, NSC, UNP

    Driving that train, high on… natural gas? Granted, it isn’t as catchy as the Grateful Dead original. But if major North American freight railroads keep moving as they are, this could be the version many are singing well into the 21st century.

    Freight railroads have never been very exciting. They operate much the same today as they have for more than a century, and few of us think about more »

  • Right Time for Specialty REITs?

    By Howard Rothman - May 6, 2013 | Tickers: AMT, CXW, EPR, PENN, PSA

    Today’s Real Estate Investment Trusts are not your father’s REITs. Designed for businesses that run income-producing properties like office buildings, shopping centers and apartment complexes, a growing array of newcomers includes owners of everything from private prisons and cellphone towers to casinos and self-storage facilities.

    Because the REIT designation dramatically reduces corporate taxes, conversion by non-traditional businesses like these has become a hot trend on Wall Street. Analysts more »

  • The Trashmen Cometh

    By Howard Rothman - April 15, 2013 | Tickers: RSG, WCN, WM

    Despite weak fourth quarter performance and tepid 2013 guidance, the Big Three waste disposal services have been on a roll. Waste Management (NYSE: WM), Republic Services (NYSE: RSG) and Waste Connections (NYSE: WCN) are all up between 9%-15% YTD, and an even more impressive 20%-25% since November. With the trio issuing first-quarter earnings April 24-25, inquisitive minds want to know: can they keep it up?

    With more upside more »

  • Plywood: Foundation of the Building Boom

    By Howard Rothman - April 2, 2013 | Tickers: BCC, HD, LPX, LOW, LL

    In the world of building materials, people are starting to party like its 2004. That was when the last building boom drove demand and prices through the roof for critical construction materials like cement, copper, nails and plywood. Producers of these commodities benefited big time, before the boom turned bust and stayed that way for eight long years.

    Now it’s starting to look like it did back then. The more »

  • Have Crocs Hit Their Stride?

    By Howard Rothman - March 20, 2013 | Tickers: CROX, DECK, DSW, WWW

    Although Crocs (NASDAQ: CROX) opened for business in 1999, it took about a half-dozen years before its colorful injection-molded clogs hit anyone’s radar. But when they did hit, they hit big. A highly anticipated IPO was followed by a rapid rise in stock price that topped 400% before peaking in late October 2007 — and then collapsed, just as quickly, falling by more than 98% over the next 13 months more »

  • Squeezed Ethanol Makers Looking Elsewhere for Profitability

    By Howard Rothman - March 15, 2013 | Tickers: ADM, CLC, GPRE, PEIX, VLO

    If you were watching ethanol company stocks over the last five years, you’re probably suffering from a serious case of whiplash. They boomed with the fuel’s fortunes in 2008, crashed like everything else in 2009, recovered impressively in 2010, and then fell in both 2011 and 2012. So far this year most are up between 20% and 40%, but few investors believe these gains will prove sustainable.

    Producers more »

  • China Luxury Auto Boom Expected to Continue

    By Howard Rothman - March 5, 2013 | Tickers: F, GM, HMC, TM

    As China prepares to transition to new leadership, its government has begun advancing plans for economic growth based on consumer spending, instead of investment and exports. This can only bode well for the nation’s auto market — already the world’s largest — since the rebalancing aims to boost household income and encourage domestic purchases. As a result, the Chinese auto market’s sizzling luxury segment could see even greater growth more »

  • Studies Boost On-Road, Off-Road Natural Gas Chances

    By Howard Rothman - March 5, 2013 | Tickers: CAT, CMI, NAV, PCAR

    A pair of studies released at the end of February project U.S. natural gas production will grow for the next 30 years, putting enough downward pressure on prices to boost demand in the on-road and off-road transportation markets. These sectors are seeing plenty of new products that use the fuel. But they’ve only tentatively embraced them so far, even though it is cleaner than petroleum fuels and as more »

  • Studies Bolster Natural Gas Transportation Plays

    By Howard Rothman - March 4, 2013 | Tickers: CAT, CLNE, RDS-A, WPRT

    A pair of studies released at the end of February project that U.S. natural gas production will grow for at least a generation, likely keeping prices low enough to drive demand in markets that to date have only tentatively embraced it. If so, one of the biggest beneficiaries will be the trucking industry, which is eager to adopt technology that is both cleaner than petroleum and as much as more »

  • 4 Winners as Brazil Prepares to Take Center Stage

    By Howard Rothman - February 22, 2013 | Tickers: CAT, DE, FMC, TWI

    Brazil is considered one of the world’s most important emerging nations, and it’s closer to the U.S. in many ways than any other. Still, North American investors rarely focus on the country and its role in global corporate performance. China, Russia, even India — the other members of the famed BRIC quartet of newly developing economies — get the lion’s share of attention. But Brazil is hot, and more »

  • What to Consider Regarding Titan’s Q4

    By Howard Rothman - February 20, 2013 | Tickers: CAT, JOY, TWI

    Titan International (NYSE: TWI) is a U.S.-based manufacturer of wheels and tires in three segments: earthmoving/construction/mining, agricultural, and consumer. It's shares are up just 3.5% over the past year, pummeled by a major downturn that began in early June and hit bottom at the end of September. But since then its shares have risen nearly 44%. Can the momentun continue, or is this just more »

  • This Trash Hauler's Key Takeaways From Q4

    By Howard Rothman - February 11, 2013 | Tickers: BIN, RSG, VE, WCN, WM

    With trash volumes flat and the ability to raise prices almost nonexistent, waste service providers have faced an uphill climb during the past couple of years. Unfortunately, the fourth-quarter earnings Republic Services (NYSE: RSG), one of the industry’s Top 3 players, reported on Feb. 7 show that little has really changed over the past several months -- and little improvement is expected in early 2013.

    RSG’s results, and why more »

  • Natural Gas: A Look at the Contrarian View

    By Howard Rothman - January 24, 2013 | Tickers: CAT, CLNE, PCAR, RDS-A, WPRT

    With plentiful supplies and high production driving natural gas prices to their lowest levels in a decade, interest in its potential — and how it might be played on Wall Street — is strong and growing stronger. Accordingly, there’s been an increasing level of chatter about the likely future role of natural gas in a wide range of applications that touch a number of high-profile industries 

    I believe there are definite more »

  • CAT Analysis: Short-term Pain, Long-term Gain?

    By Howard Rothman - January 18, 2013 | Tickers: CAT

    Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT), a leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, power equipment and locomotives, is scheduled to announce 4Q12 and full-year 2012 earnings January 28. Its stock is up 12% over the past three months, but down more than 7% since last January. In the company’s most recent quarter it reported sales and revenue rose 5% year over year, with profit per share (including a pre-tax gain from more »

  • China’s Hold on Auto Industry Tightens

    By Howard Rothman - January 16, 2013 | Tickers: F, GM, HMC, TM

    As if China wasn’t already important enough in the global auto market, the country now sells more cars than all of Europe combined. After overtaking the U.S. in 2009, the China Passenger Car Association reported last week that 2012 sales rose nearly 7% from the year before to hit 14.68 million — compared to 14.5 million in the U.S., which recorded its strongest sales growth in more »

  • A Leader Among Natural Gas Plays

    By Howard Rothman - January 10, 2013 | Tickers: CAT, CLNE, CMI, GE, WPRT

    It’s no secret that abundant domestic supply and record production have sent natural gas prices tumbling to their lowest level in years. As a result, companies in a growing number of industries are looking for ways to use it as an alternative to costlier and dirtier petroleum fuels. As we reported recently, suppliers are readying a wide array of long-haul heavy-duty trucks with gas-injection engines designed for Liquefied Natural more »

  • 4 Winners (and 1 Loser) as China Regains Its Footing

    By Howard Rothman - January 7, 2013 | Tickers: CAT, CMI, DE, HTHIY.PK, KMTUY

    China watchers have seen a good deal of encouraging news in recent weeks, and since New Year’s Day the reports on the country’s economic state have been the most positive of the lot. A key government measure of the manufacturing sector showed expansion in December for the third straight month. A similar study by HSBC, which concentrates on smaller private manufacturers, said growth hit a 19-month high. Copper more »

  • Natural Gas Trucks: Who Benefits in 2013?

    By Howard Rothman - January 4, 2013 | Tickers: CLNE, NAV, PCAR, RDS-A, WPRT

    Natural gas prices are the lowest they’ve been in a decade, driving companies in a wide swath of industries to consider it as an alternative to more costly petroleum fuels. Numerous challenges — and vocal detractors — await, but as we noted in a piece over the holidays on the emergence of natural gas drilling rigs, a significant shift is undeniably underway. One of the most eager adopters has been the more »

  • Page 1 of 2