Once again, credit agencies are blind to the supply chain supercycle
The supply chain supercycle is coming and the companies are getting ready to invest in their businesses. Usually, the safest way to invest in a trend is not in the companies on the front lines, but in the suppliers who will win no matter what.
Terex Corporation (TEX) supplies the equipment that manufacturers need the most, even though it is out of sight for most investors.
Maybe this is why credit agencies don’t understand the fundamentals of the business and think that the company has a 10% chance of default.
We can figure out for ourselves utilizing Uniform Accounting and Credit Cash Flow Prime, which shows that the company has nothing to worry about.
Also below, a detailed Uniform Accounting tearsheet of the company.
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For months, we have been talking about how the supply chain supercycle will affect the U.S. economy and companies’ ability to benefit from it. Companies are investing back in their businesses to strengthen their supply chain, optimize operations, and renew their old properties and equipment.
There is no doubt that this spending will make businesses more efficient. But to invest into this trend, we also need to follow where this capital expenditure goes.
More investment means more equipment to work on to make that investment. One of the biggest beneficiaries of this is the equipment suppliers.
There is a lot of equipment that we never think of. But nearly every manufacturing company needs them.
Work platforms, utility equipment, telehandlers, and cranes are just a few of them.
This is where Terex Corporation (TEX) comes in.
The company finds itself at the heart of the supply chain supercycle. It provides various products that are used in construction, maintenance, manufacturing, energy, and material management applications.
It has manufacturing centers on four different continents and sells its products worldwide, creating a global footprint.
Terex’s “Aerial Work Platforms” and “Material Processing” segments cover a wide range of products and industries. These industries have to have the equipment to continue with their daily operations.
Unfortunately, credit agencies misunderstand a company like Terex that has such a vital position in the global manufacturing and construction industries.
They think there is a 10% chance Terex will go bankrupt, rating the company BB-.
This rating makes no sense, which means it is better if we analyze the default risk of the company ourselves.
We can figure out if there is a real risk for this company by leveraging the Credit Cash Flow Prime (CCFP) to understand the company’s obligations matched against its cash and cash flows.
In the chart below, the stacked bars represent the firm’s obligations each year for the next five years. These obligations are then compared to the firm’s cash flow (blue line) as well as the cash on hand available at the beginning of each period (blue dots) and available cash and undrawn revolver (blue triangles).
The CCFP chart proves two main points. Terex has nothing to worry about meeting its obligations and credit agencies don’t understand the business at all.
Terex’s cash flows consistently exceed operating and financial obligations for the next six years.
This means that it can comfortably invest cash flows directly into the business and get ready for the supply chain supercycle.
As a result, Terex gets an IG3+ rating from Valens. This corresponds to a default risk of less than 2%, which makes much more sense considering the company’s cash flows and liabilities.
It is our goal to bring forward the real creditworthiness of companies, built on the back of better Uniform Accounting.
To see Credit Cash Flow Prime ratings for thousands of companies, click here to learn more about the various subscription options now available for the full Valens Database.
SUMMARY and Terex Corporation Tearsheet
As the Uniform Accounting tearsheet for Terex Corporation (TEX:USA) highlights, the Uniform P/E trades at 9.9x, which is below the global corporate average of 19.3x and its historical P/E of 20.4x.
Low P/Es require low EPS growth to sustain them. In the case of Terex Corporation, the company has recently shown a 5394% Uniform EPS growth.
Wall Street analysts provide stock and valuation recommendations that in general provide very poor guidance or insight. However, Wall Street analysts’ near-term earnings forecasts tend to have relevant information.
We take Wall Street forecasts for GAAP earnings and convert them to Uniform earnings forecasts. When we do this, Terex Corporation’s Wall Street analyst-driven forecast is for a 7% and 11% EPS growth in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Based on the current stock market valuations, we can use earnings growth valuation metrics to back into the required growth rate to justify Terex Corporation’s $32 stock price. These are often referred to as market embedded expectations.
Furthermore, the company’s earning power in 2021 is 2x the long-run corporate average. However, cash flows and cash on hand are more than 3x its total obligations—including debt maturities and capex maintenance. The company also has an intrinsic credit risk that is 220bps above the risk-free rate.
Overall, this signals a moderate credit risk and low dividend risk.
Lastly, Terex Corporation’s Uniform earnings growth is in line with its peer averages, but is trading below its average peer valuations.
Best regards,
Joel Litman & Rob Spivey
Chief Investment Strategist &
Director of Research
at Valens Research
