Manitowoc Downgraded to Sell on Lingering Weak Crane Demand (Revised)

MTW DE APOG LAKE

On Jul 12, The Manitowoc Company, Inc. (MTW - Free Report) was downgraded a notch to a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Going by the Zacks model, companies carrying a Zacks Rank #4 have chances of performing weaker than the broader market over the upcoming quarters.

Why the Downgrade?

On May 9, the manufacturer of cranes reported an adjusted loss per share of 17 cents per share compared with a loss of 5 cents reported in the year-ago quarter. Manitowoc expects revenues to decline approximately 8–10% year over year in 2017. Adjusted EBITDA is anticipated between $41 million and $59 million.

Since first-quarter results, Manitowoc’s shares dipped 6.9%, underperforming the 8.3% growth registered by the Zacks categorized Machinery-Construction/ Mining sub industry.

Crane demand continues to be soft and at historically low levels in America, due to depressed used-crane values and weak rental rates. Based on current activity levels, particularly in mobile cranes, the company does not expect a meaningful recovery in global demand for cranes in the near term. Mobile crane demand continues to be muted in the Americas and the Middle East region, due to persistently lower used crane values and soft rental rates. The North American market for crawler cranes continues to be extremely weak. Uncertainty among customers is mounting due to emerging market peers, apprehensions related to China’s growth outlook, persistently depressed oil prices and sluggish domestic growth.

Manitowoc Company, Inc. Price and Consensus

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