John Abbink

Putting a business on the block and taking it off just four months later doesn't support 3M's claim that a commitment to rigorous portfolio management is a keystone of its strategy.

3M has announced restructuring charges for the first time in years, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been taking them all along.

3M's Q4 announcement was greeted enthusiastically by a market that had lowered its expectations through a series of disappointments in 2015, but the report offers little encouragement for its 2016 outlook.

There's little hope for quick recovery from United Technologies' jet engine and aerospace businesses, so hope for the company's shares has to rest on its construction-related businesses, which may justify some optimism.

Because of its close relation to consumer staples, Crown gets generous treatment from investors compared to other industrials. But estimates for 2016 rely on acquisitions it can't afford and demand growth that isn't likely to occur.

PACCAR's price has weakened along with that of other truck manufacturers, but the market's worries seem to apply only to its peers.

Fluor is identified with oil and gas, and it's suffering accordingly, but orders are migrating from upstream to downstream, and at current prices, the stock, while still risky, is worth a look.

As original-equipment automakers get punished, Goodyear shares have unfairly been driven down -- to attractive levels.

Honeywell's success in meeting its targets has encouraged some analysts to urge it into more aggressive acquisitions, but that would be a mistake. The strategy is working well, so why tinker?

"Stories" take a while to wash out of a stock: Now that the emerging-markets story about Whirlpool has dried out, the stock bears watching but probably not buying at these prices.

The chemical company is as misunderstood as it is unfamiliar, but it offers real value to an investor who is willing to accept volatility.

Monsanto has run into a performance wall -- demand in its underlying market is weak and its strategy has come under question -- but the company continues to build value through R&D and geographic expansion.

The company's valuation reached unrealistic levels, and the stock has suffered since, but it still hasn't returned to a price appropriate to its earnings outlook.

Eastman Chemical has been treated roughly by hedge funds, and estimates for 2016 are very conservative. Its current valuation and yield suggest that this gloom is excessive.

Danaher's spinoff of its test and measurement and industrial businesses looks attractive; shareholders should look forward to receiving its shares in Q3.

Corning's management has been a consistent disappointment, but a new strategy and a windfall from the sale of Dow Corning might give shareholders reason for hope.

Eaton earnings are likely to be able to increase marginally in 2016 and will be flattered by share buybacks, but earnings growth should accelerate in 2017.

Air Products is spinning off its Materials Technology unit to concentrate on industrial gases. Its competitive environment is getting more difficult, and it will need to raise its game in response.

PPG has been the Rodney Dangerfield among paint and coatings stocks, but the measures it has taken since 2014 should begin to earn it some respect in 2016.

Sherwin-Williams has mostly overcome investors' disappointment over its Q2 report and can be expected to grow at similar rates in 2016 as it has in 2015.