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Vale S.A. (VALE) Looks Bearish on Lingering Macro Headwinds

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On Jun 30, we issued an updated research report on the industrial metals & minerals company, Vale S.A. (VALE - Free Report) .

Over the last one month, Vale’s shares yielded a return of 4.42%, underperforming 4.75% growth recorded by the Zacks categorized Mining-Iron industry.

Inside Story

Declining iron ore prices have been hurting the revenues and profits of mining companies like Vale. Over the last three months, prices of this major steel making component plunged nearly 36.01% to $55.85 per tonne, as of Jun 29. An excess supply situation in the market is currently weighing over the prices of iron ore. Further downside in price level would continue to hurt Vale’s results in the quarters ahead as well.

Moreover, Vale’s commercial affairs depend on licenses and permits issued by the government. Changes in government policies might lead to situations where licenses are not renewed at all. Such circumstances adversely influence the company’s growth or productivity plans, thereby directly affecting its revenues and margins. In addition, the company’s revenue generation and profit-making prospects are highly sensitive to environmental hazards such as natural disasters and abnormal rainfall.

Additionally, the mining industry is highly competitive and dominated by few major mining companies. The number of new entrants is almost limited due to huge start-up costs involved in such businesses. In order to maintain competency within the industry, Vale makes costly investments to maximize the output and minimize productivity expenses. However, these investments increase the company’s overall debt burden.

Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the stock moved south for both 2017 and 2018, reflecting negative sentiments.

Better Ranked Picks

Some better-ranked stocks within the same sector are listed below:

The Chemours Company (CC - Free Report) has an average positive earnings surprise of 39.82% for the trailing four quarters and currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Limoneira Co (LMNR - Free Report) , which currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), pulled off an average positive earnings surprise of 14.74% for the last four quarters.

KMG Chemicals, Inc. carries a Zacks Rank #2 and delivered an average positive earnings surprise of 12.54% for the last four quarters.

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VALE S.A. (VALE) - free report >>

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