Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Reasons Why EnPro Industries (NPO) Stock is Worth Buying Now

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors seeking exposure in the general industrial manufacturing space may find EnPro Industries, Inc. (NPO - Free Report) an attractive investment option. The manufacturer of engineered products’ solid fundamentals and further growth opportunities raises its attractiveness.

The company currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). It is headquartered in Charlotte, NC, and has a $1.8-billion market capitalization. It belongs to the Zacks Manufacturing – General Industrial industry, which comes under the ambit of the Zacks Industrial Products sector.

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

In the past three months, the company’s shares have gained 16% compared with the industry’s growth of 84.3%. Notably, the S&P 500 expanded 6.5% and the sector advanced 30.3% during the same timeframe.




 

Below we discussed why EnPro Industries is a worthy investment option.

Impressive Results and Tailwinds: The company reported better-than-expected results for the fourth quarter of 2020, with earnings surpassing estimates by 143.14%. Also, its sales exceeded estimates by 20.21%. In the quarters ahead, a reshaped business portfolio, cost-saving measures, growing opportunities within life science, semiconductor and technology end markets, and operational excellence might aid the company.

For 2021, the company anticipates sales of $1.04-$1.08 billion and predicts adjusted earnings per share of $4.32-$4.66.

Inorganic Action: Over time, EnPro Industries has been benefiting from acquired assets and divested businesses. In 2020, the company used $238.3 million for making acquisitions (net of cash acquired). Also, its proceeds from sales of businesses totaled $475.1 million in the year.

Notably, EnPro Industries divested its bushing block business to Melma Group in December 2020. The divestment was in sync with EnPro Industries’ initiatives to concentrate on businesses based on materials science. Also, EnPro Industries sold STEMCO’s Air Springs business to an associate of Turnspire Capital Partners in November. In October, EnPro Industries acquired Santa Rosa, CA-based Alluxa, Inc. The buyout added strength to EnPro Industries’ existing offerings in the thin-film product category.

Shareholders’ Rewards: EnPro Industries has been rewarding its shareholders with dividend payments and share buybacks over time. Its dividend payouts totaled $21.7 million in 2020, higher than $20.9 million in 2019. Also, the company repurchased $5.3 million worth of shares in 2020.

Notably, EnPro Industries announced a hike of 4% in its quarterly dividend rate in February 2021. The current quarterly dividend rate is 27 cents per share. Healthy cash flow positions will likely help the company to reward its shareholders.

Earnings Estimate Revisions: EnPro Industries’ earnings estimates have been raised in the past couple of months. Currently, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at 91 cents for the first quarter of 2021, reflecting growth of 51.7% from the figure mentioned in the past two months. Further, the estimate for the second quarter is pegged at $1.22, reflecting growth of 34.1% in the past 60 days.

EnPro Industries Price and Consensus

 

EnPro Industries Price and Consensus

EnPro Industries price-consensus-chart | EnPro Industries Quote

Also, estimates for the company’s earnings are pegged at $4.56 for 2021 and $5.31 for 2022, suggesting increases of 62.9% and 63.4% from the respective estimates in the past 60 days.

Outperformance Versus Industry Players

EnPro Industries has outperformed some other players in the industry, including Dover Corporation (DOV - Free Report) , Altra Industrial Motion Corp. and Graco Inc. (GGG - Free Report) . In the past three months, Dover’s shares have gained 10% and Altra Industrial has increased 4.9%, while Graco’s shares have decreased 4.7%.

The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All

Last year, it generated $24 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $77.6 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.

See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >>


Unique Zacks Analysis of Your Chosen Ticker


Pick one free report - opportunity may be withdrawn at any time


Dover Corporation (DOV) - $25 value - yours FREE >>

Graco Inc. (GGG) - $25 value - yours FREE >>

Enpro Inc. (NPO) - $25 value - yours FREE >>

Published in