The following video is part of our "Motley Fool Conversations" series, in which industrials editor/analyst Isaac Pino and health-care editor/analyst David Williamson discuss topics across the investing world.
Isaac and David discuss two Dow industrial titans, Caterpillar and Boeing. Interestingly, Caterpillar's growth in China fell short of management expectations. The company built 16 plants in China recently, and has nine more on the way. Will this investment pay off for shareholders? Right now, stalling GDP growth is a concern, but management seemed resolute, stating, "Our mid- to long-term forecast has not changed." Fortunately, only 3% of sales stem from China, and the weakness was offset by strong growth in the Americas. While Caterpillar's recent quarter was not as big as its last, Boeing's quarter was quite robust. The company saw earnings surge 58% and its revenue shot up 30%. Management was optimistic about production expectations, which need to improve if the company wants to fulfill the huge backlog built up over the past few years. Boeing lifted guidance, and the company estimates that 33,500 planes (13,380 for replacement and the rest in new demand) worth nearly $4 trillion will be in demand over the next 20 years. That's a tremendous opportunity for a company that is one of two major manufacturers in this field.
Fundamentally, both of these industrial giants are strong operators that can compete against the best in the world. Backed by their U.S. operations, they have entered foreign markets with great success. While Boeing and Caterpillar could continue to prosper, there are a few other American companies with perhaps even better international prospects. Read about the brands behind these great companies in our recent report, "3 American Companies Set to Dominate the World." The report won't be available forever, so we invite you to enjoy a free copy today. You can access it by clicking here. Enjoy, and Fool on!
