Is United Technologies Firing on All Cylinders?

Photo of Chris Lange
By Chris Lange Updated Published
This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.
Is United Technologies Firing on All Cylinders?

© Thinkstock

United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) reported its fourth-quarter financial results before the markets opened on Wednesday. The company said that it had $1.60 in earnings per share (EPS) and $15.68 billion in revenue, compared with consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters of $1.56 in EPS on revenue of $15.4 billion. The same period of last year reportedly had EPS of $1.56 and $14.66 billion in revenue.

Associated with the tax law change is an estimated, cumulative net cash payment of $1.5 billion to be paid through 2026.

Each of UTC’s businesses grew sales in the fourth quarter:

  • Commercial aftermarket sales were up 25% at Pratt & Whitney to $4.46 billion.
  • UTC Aerospace Systems up 10% to $3.80 billion.
  • Otis new equipment orders increased 1% to $3.25 billion.
  • Equipment orders at UTC Climate, Controls & Security increased 9% organically to $4.52 billion.

[nativounit]

Looking ahead to the 2018 full year, the company expects to see EPS in the range of $6.85 to $7.10 and sales in the range of $62.5 billion to $64.0 billion. The consensus estimates call for $7.00 in EPS and $63.08 billion in revenue.

Gregory Hayes, board chair and chief executive, commented:

UTC had a strong finish to 2017. Sales, adjusted EPS and free cash flow were all above the top end of our expectations. Our focus on innovation, execution and cost reduction led to our best year of organic sales growth since 2014, with all businesses contributing. We gained share in our commercial businesses and continued to execute on our growing aerospace backlog. UTC also announced the transformative Rockwell Collins acquisition which will create a premier aerospace supplier. As a result of this proposed transaction, together with the investments in our businesses and in our digital strategies, we are positioned well for years to come.

Shares of UTC closed Tuesday at $136.03, with a consensus analyst price target of $142.44 and a 52-week range of $106.85 to $137.73. Following the announcement, the stock was down only slightly to $135.51 in early trading indications Wednesday.

[wallst_email_signup]

Photo of Chris Lange
About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.

Continue Reading

Top Gaining Stocks

CBOE Vol: 1,568,143
PSKY Vol: 12,285,993
STX Vol: 7,378,346
ORCL Vol: 26,317,675
DDOG Vol: 6,247,779

Top Losing Stocks

LKQ
LKQ Vol: 4,367,433
CLX Vol: 13,260,523
SYK Vol: 4,519,455
MHK Vol: 1,859,865
AMGN Vol: 3,818,618