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Fluor (FLR) Finishes Puerto Rico's Priority Power Line Work

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Fluor Corporation (FLR - Free Report) recently completed work on portions of three priority 38kv power lines located in San Juan’s urban areas and a fourth priority 38kv line close to Caguas. The company was working under a contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“USACE”). The high priority power line enables Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority to re-energize lines, serving areas of Rio Piedras, Caguas and Minillas, as well as lines running from Canóvanas to Palmer.

Per the contract, the company provided power grid repair and restoration services, supporting the re-energization. In addition to several busy commercial districts, these lines will facilitate in delivering electricity to a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Caguas, schools and residential neighborhoods.

Our Take

Fluor has a solid track record of receiving awards, and management remains optimistic about continuation of this trend in future as well, which is expected to drive growth. The company remains optimistic about end markets, including mining. This is because leading indicators for future capital spending like industrial production and capacity utilization are improving in several regions and industries, which signal higher capital spending, going forward.

The company is presently focusing on transforming its EPC model into the one integrated solution, which is anticipated to help in expanding scope of work on a project, improve client satisfaction and provide an opportunity to generate greater returns. Based on the present trends, the company remains confident that it will secure two major EPC mining projects in the next few quarters. This apart, the company’s healthy level of backlog in infrastructure, government, life sciences and advanced manufacturing has allowed it to mitigate multiyear decline in mining, metals and oil & gas markets.

Moreover, being an industry leader in nuclear remediation at government facilities throughout the United States, the company is expected to benefit from the rising demand for energy across globally. The Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company has returned 20.2% in the past three months, outperforming the industry’s growth of 6.7%.

However, volatility in commodity prices, and the cyclical nature of its commodity-based business lines, poses significant challenges in the forthcoming quarters. Currently, the company is facing a dearth of engineering and new awards which is hurting growth prospects significantly. Moreover, Fluor’s margins are under pressure as it is transitioning from higher margin engineering to lower margin construction activities, particularly related to Energy & Chemicals as well as Mining segment.

Further, the increasing competition, along with the inclination toward globalization, has triggered a trend of consolidation across all industries especially in the engineering and construction sector. The power market is extremely competitive and the company continues to face a series of challenges in this market.

Stocks to Consider

Some better-ranked stocks in the same space are Rayonier Inc. (RYN - Free Report) , EMCOR Group, Inc. (EME - Free Report) and Owens Corning Inc (OC - Free Report) . While Rayonier sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), EMCOR Group and Owens Corning carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank  stocks here.

Rayonier has surpassed estimates thrice in the trailing four quarters, with an average positive earnings surprise of 96.0%.

EMCOR Group has outpaced estimates thrice in the preceding four quarters, with an average earnings surprise of 16.9%.

Owens Corning has outpaced estimates thrice in the preceding four quarters, with an average earnings surprise of 17.5%.

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