Buy Goodyear, hold on to ATN

Article Excerpt

GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER CO. $30.54 (Nasdaq symbol GT; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (330-796-2122; www.goodyear.com; Shares o/s: 261.1 million; Market cap: $8.0 billion; Dividend yield: 1.3%) is one of the world’s largest tire makers, with 49 plants in 22 countries. In the three months ended September 30, 2016, Goodyear earned $310 million, excluding one-time items. That’s an increase of 14.4%, from $271 million a year earlier. Earnings per share rose at the faster rate of 18.2%, to $1.17 from $0.99, on fewer shares outstanding. The company’s gains were mainly due to lower income taxes. Revenue fell 8.1%, to $3.8 billion from $4.2 billion. That mostly reflects the exclusion of any sales in the troubled Venezuela market. In the near term, Goodyear faces slower demand for heavy-duty truck tires. That’s because trucking companies have adjusted their fleets amid weaker retail sales and industrial output in the U.S. However, the company’s sales continue to expand in the fast-growing market for premium replacement tires. North America is the largest…