Topic: How To Invest

Pat: Could you please comment on specialty industrial gas company Praxair? As always, I look forward to your analysis Thanks!

Article Excerpt

Praxair Inc., $109.62, symbol PX on New York (Shares outstanding: 297.1 million; Market cap: $32.6 billion; www.praxair.com), is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, and one of the biggest in the world. Praxair supplies various gases, such as oxygen, nitrogen and helium, to customers in a wide range of industries, including metals, chemicals, health care, electronics, glass, environmental and pulp and paper. In addition, the company’s Surface Technologies division makes and sells thermal coatings. In the three months ended September 30, 2012, Praxair’s revenue fell 4.2%, to $2.77 billion from $2.90 billion a year earlier. Earnings per share before one-time items declined 0.7%, to $1.39 from $1.40. The company’s long-term debt of $6.4 billion is a reasonable 19.6% of its market cap. Praxair’s sales in North America continue to rise, particularly to clients in the energy, manufacturing and metals industries. However, that’s being somewhat offset by slower demand in Asia, mainly because of lower sales to electronics customers. As…