Upcoming spinoff set to spur Trinity

Article Excerpt

TRINITY INDUSTRIES INC. $36 (New York symbol TRN; Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares o/s: 149.3 million; Market cap: $5.1 billion; Dividend yield: 1.5%; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.trin.net) makes a variety of metal products for many industries. Its five main operating segments are Rail (railcars and components), Construction Products (highway-safety products, concrete and aggregates like sand, gravel and crushed stone), Inland Barge (barges), Energy Equipment (wind turbines), and Railcar Leasing and Management. The company operates mainly in North America. Trinity’s revenue rose 46.4%, from $4.4 billion in 2013 to $6.4 billion in 2015. That gain was mainly due to acquisitions of smaller firms and improving demand for rail cars. Revenue then fell to $4.6 billion in 2016 due to declines for its Rail and Inland Barge units. Revenue fell again in 2017 to $3.7 billion. The company’s earnings jumped 115.7%, from $369.2 million in 2013 to $796.5 million in 2015. Due to fewer shares outstanding, earnings per share rose at a faster rate…