Here’s Why Investing in MRC Global (MRC) Makes Sense Now – December 5, 2022

MRC Global Inc. (MRC – Free Report) is benefiting from strength in its businesses, accretive contract wins and a sound capital-deployment strategy.

The currently Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) player has a market capitalization of $996.6 million. In the past year, the stock has gained 64% compared with the industry’s growth of 45.5%.

Let’s delve into the factors that make the company a smart investment choice at the moment.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Business Strength: MRC Global stands to gain from its presence in diversified end markets, including upstream production, gas utilities, midstream pipelines, downstream, industrial and energy transition. Its gas utility sector will likely benefit from long-term market drivers including distribution integrity upgrade programs and new home construction. New energy transition-related projects, project turnaround activity and maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) activities is expected to aid the company’s second-largest sector (downstream, industrial and energy transition) DIET sector in the quarters ahead.

Attractive Contract Wins: MRC Global will likely become more competent on attractive contract wins and projects. Its gas utility sector will likely benefit from several contracts awarded by the largest gas utilities in the United States. Also, MRC’s businesses in the industrial, downstream and energy transition sectors are expected to gain from contracts with some of the largest refiners in the United States. MRC generated 32.3% of revenues from valves, automation, and measurement & instrumentation product line in the third quarter of 2022.

Rewards to Shareholders: MRC Global’s measures to reward its shareholders through dividend payments are impressive. In 2021 and during the first nine months of 2022, MRC paid out dividends worth $24 million and $18 million, respectively. It also bought back shares worth $2 million during the first nine months.

Northbound Estimate Revision: In the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2022 earnings has been revised 42% upward.

Other Key Picks

Some other top-ranked companies from the Industrial Products sector are discussed below:

Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (AIT – Free Report) presently has a Zacks Rank #1 and a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 24.8%, on average. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks.

AIT’s earnings estimates have increased 4.6% for fiscal 2023 (ending June 2023) in the past 60 days. Shares of Applied Industrial have risen 29.1% in the past year.

IDEX Corporation (IEX – Free Report) presently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). IEX’s earnings surprise in the last four quarters was 5.7%, on average.

In the past 60 days, IDEX’s earnings estimates have increased 1.8% for 2022. The stock has rallied 3.1% in the past year.

EnerSys (ENS – Free Report) delivered an average four-quarter earnings surprise of 2.1%. ENS presently carries a Zacks Rank of 2.

ENS’ earnings estimates have increased 0.6% for fiscal 2023 (ending March 2023) in the past 60 days. The stock has gained 1.1% in the past six months.