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Milacron (MCRN) to Grow on Rising Demand, Macro Woes Linger

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On Apr 10, we issued an updated research report on Milacron Holdings Corp. .

The company is poised to benefit from rising demand, solid order growth, introduction of products, Klear Can technology, as well as cost-reduction initiatives. However, strengthening of the U.S. dollar, global economic uncertainty and pricing pressure remain headwinds.

Notably, demand for a diverse range of finished plastic products is on the rise in many markets, including automotive, construction and consumer markets. This is escalated by global population growth, along with sustained urbanization, increased purchasing power and improved lifestyle in emerging markets.

Milacron has achieved a significant milestone with its breakthrough Klear Can technology.  It is the first clear plastic can, and an ideal alternative to antiquated metal cans for fruits, vegetables, soups, meats and other products.

The company witnessed a 1.4% increase in order growth in 2016 despite an uncertain commercial environment. Backlog at year-end 2016 was up 7% compared with the figure recorded as of Dec 31, 2015. This bodes well for performance in the current year. In 2017, the company will focus on executing strategic fundamentals that include capitalizing on the diversity of its markets and geographies to boost growth.

However, with the recent strengthening of the U.S. dollar, Milacron expects approximately $27 million of foreign exchange headwinds during the year. The first half of the year is expected to bear approximately 60% of the impact.

Looking ahead at 2017, the company remains cautious due to the global economic uncertainty. Even though the recent momentum in North American industrials will positively impact the industry, it will take some time to convert into orders. Consequently, the company projects full-year organic sales growth at 0–2%.

Further, pricing pressure remains a concern for Milacron, stemmed by the combination of a competitive, low growth environment in North America, as well as broader commodity deflationary headwinds.

Milacron currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Share Price Performance

Milacron outperformed the Zacks classified Manufacturing-Material Handling sub-industry with respect to price performance. The stock gained around 14.4%, while the industry recorded growth of 13.1% over the same time frame.

Stocks to Consider

Some other stocks worth considering in the industrial products sector include ACCO Brands Corporation (ACCO - Free Report) , Roper Technologies, Inc. (ROP - Free Report) and Brady Corporation (BRC - Free Report) . All of these stocks boast a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

ACCO Brands Corporation delivered an average positive earnings surprise of 24.74% in the last four quarters. Roper Technologies generated an average positive earnings surprise of 0.92% in the trailing four quarters. Brady Corporation has an average positive earnings surprise of 20.84% for the past four quarters.

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