These cyclical stocks are poised for gains

Article Excerpt

These four manufacturers operate in cyclical industries. That means their profits, and stock prices, tend to move up and down with the overall economy. They also face other challenges. Those include uncertainty over the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Trump administration’s plan to impose tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum. However, each of the four companies is a well-established market leader, which helps cut its risks. We like all of them, and see three as buys for right now. CAE INC. $24 (Toronto symbol CAE; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 267.5 million; Market cap: $6.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.3; Dividend yield: 1.5%; TSI-Network Rating: Average; www.cae.com) is a leading maker of flight simulators for commercial and military aircraft. It also operates pilot-training schools in over 30 countries and makes mannequins and other medical-simulators for training health professionals. In its fiscal 2018 third quarter, ended December 31, 2017, CAE earned $117.9 million, or $0.44 a share. That’s up 69.4%…