The U.S. economy added 142,000 jobs in August 2024, more than a downwardly revised 89,000 in July but below forecasts of 160,000. Job gains occurred in construction, health care, government and social assistance. In contrast, employment declined in manufacturing (-24,000), reflecting a drop of 25,000 in the durable goods industries. Employment growth in August was in line with the average job growth in recent months but below the average monthly gain of 202,000 over the 12 prior months. Meanwhile, the figur ...

Emcor Group (EME) closed the latest trading day at $356.46, indicating a -0.61% change from the previous session's end. The stock's change was less than the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.16%. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a rise of 0.09%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw a decrease of 0.3%. The construction and maintenance company's shares have seen an increase of 2.34% over the last month, surpassing the Construction sector's gain of 1.53% and falling behind the S&P 500's gain of 3.64%. The investment ...

EMCOR Group, Inc. (EME) has seen its shares rise steadily, rallying 76.8% year to date (YTD), outperforming the Zacks Building Products - Heavy Construction industry's 59.4% growth. The broader Construction sector rose 18.5% and the S&P 500 grew 17.8% in the same time frame. This Norwalk, CT-based electrical and mechanical construction and facilities services provider has been showing strengths across its business, given solid demand in key market sectors such as high-tech manufacturing, network and communi ...

For Immediate Release Chicago, IL – August 27, 2024 – Today, Zacks Equity Research discusses, EMCOR Group Inc. (EME) , MasTec, Inc. (MTZ) , Granite Construction Inc. (GVA) , Primoris Services Corp. (PRIM) and Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp. (GLDD) . Industry: Heavy Construction Link: https://www.zacks.com/commentary/2327084/capitalizing-on-heavy-construction-industry-boom-5- stocks-to-buy The Zacks Building Products - Heavy Construction industry is set to maintain its momentum, fueled by a significant infra ...

The Zacks Building Products - Heavy Construction industry is set to maintain its momentum, fueled by a significant infrastructure push spearheaded by the U.S. government. This initiative focuses on enhancing the nation's roads, bridges, and broadband connectivity. Industry players are benefiting from increased demand across various sectors, including communications, power transmission, and other infrastructure projects. Although the industry faces challenges such as project delays, a competitive labor marke ...

In the present edgy economic backdrop, it's important for investors to assess evolving market conditions and adopt a robust investment approach accordingly. While a stock's sales and earnings figures can influence investment decisions, this approach doesn't consistently deliver optimal returns amid complex market challenges like what we are witnessing currently. As a result, it is intriguing to pick quality stocks at the current level. Upbeat return on equity (ROE) can serve as one such quality measure. Let ...

Core Insights - Infrastructure stocks are positioned to benefit from significant investments in U.S. infrastructure, driven by government and private sector spending [1][2] - The Biden administration's bipartisan infrastructure bill, valued at $1.2 trillion, is expected to create 1.5 million jobs annually over the next seven years, providing a strong tailwind for infrastructure companies [2] Company Summaries - **Eaton (ETN)**: A diversified power management company that is capitalizing on the demand for green energy solutions. In Q2 2024, revenue increased 8% year-over-year to $6.35 billion, and net earnings rose 33% to $993 million, with segment margins improving by 210 basis points to 23.7% [3][4][5] - **Emcor Group (EME)**: A leader in mechanical and electrical construction, Emcor is experiencing robust growth with a 20% year-over-year revenue increase to $3.67 billion and a 76% rise in net earnings to $248 million. The company has a strong backlog of $9 billion, indicating confidence in future performance [6][7][8] - **Sterling Infrastructure (STRL)**: Specializing in e-infrastructure and transportation, Sterling has seen significant growth since the COVID-19 pandemic, with a 12% year-over-year revenue increase to $583 million and a 31% rise in net earnings to $52 million. The stock has returned 854% over the last five years, reflecting its strong market position [9][10]

Group 1: Market Context and Investment Strategy - Investing in growth stocks during market downturns can be risky, but buying the dip can lead to acquiring shares at lower prices [1][2] - Evaluating traditional price-to-earnings metrics is considered outdated; some seemingly cheap stocks may not provide value, while others that appear expensive may offer better opportunities [2] Group 2: Company Analysis - Godaddy (GDDY) - Godaddy is a leading domain registration and web hosting company, recently added to the S&P 500, and continues to show record profitable growth [3][4] - The company has expanded its offerings to include e-commerce and AI, enhancing its platform for small and medium-sized enterprises [4] - In Q2, Godaddy's revenue grew 7% year-over-year to $1.12 billion, with net earnings increasing 76% to $146.3 million, and free cash flow rising by 35% [5] Group 3: Company Analysis - Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) - Hewlett Packard Enterprise is positioned at the forefront of cloud computing and AI, with attractive stock valuations amid high tech market valuations [6][8] - The company has shifted towards hybrid IT models and its GreenLake cloud platform, allowing businesses to scale their IT infrastructure [7] - In the 2023 fiscal year, HPE's revenue increased 2% year-over-year to $29.13 billion, with net earnings up 133% to $2.02 billion, trading at 9x forward earnings [8] Group 4: Company Analysis - Emcor Group (EME) - Emcor Group is a diversified electrical and construction company, focusing on mechanical and electrical construction and energy infrastructure [9][10] - The company reported record revenue, earnings, and free cash flow in 2023, driven by demand for energy-efficient and sustainable building solutions [10] - In Q2, Emcor achieved record quarterly revenue of $3.67 billion, with net earnings rising 76% year-over-year to $248 million, and remaining performance obligations near $9 billion [11]

The US economy added 114,000 jobs in July 2024, well below a downwardly revised 179,000 in June and forecasts of 175,000. It is also the lowest level in three months, below the average monthly gain of 215,000 over the prior 12 months, indicating a cooling off in the labor market. The unemployment rate in the United States rose to 4.3% in July of 2024 from 4.1% in the previous month, the highest since October of 2021, and above market expectations that it would remain at 4.1%. In the meantime, the labor forc ...

For new and old investors, taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals. Zacks Premium provides lots of different ways to do both. Based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics, each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F. The better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform; an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on. Value Score While good value is important, growth investors are more focused on a company's finan ...