Latest news with #WDFC
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
14 pillars of freight corridor razed; lapses in project plan?
Mumbai: The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd (DFCCIL) recently demolished 14 completed pillars and a deck slab across a 1km stretch of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) near Kharbao in Palghar district, raising questions about project planning and management lapses. While no official reason has been offered yet for the demolition, sources indicated that it might be due to structural design changes. The dismantled stretch formed part of a viaduct that was intended to connect the WDFC to Indian Railways' existing lines. The deck slab and parapet work were already completed. Rail enthusiasts on social media flagged the issue, questioning how such an extensive section could be built, and then razed, without accountability. "May it affect the deadline or not, how is this wastage justified?" asked Saurabh Raut on his X post, tagging Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the railway ministry, and PM Modi. "Well of course DFCCIL babus will now call it a 'technical issue', but what were engineers doing during piling, pier construction, and girder launching stages?" Raut posted, adding that this wasn't the first instance of poor planning. He cited an earlier case where alignment beyond Boisar had to be re-laid even after major groundwork was completed up to blanket and drainage level. Chief general manager (Mumbai North) of DFCCIL, Vikas Kumar, declined to respond to TOI's queries on the matter. Tata Projects, who had constructed the demolished stretch, stated that an official response would be issued by DFCCIL. The WDFC spans 1,506km from Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Navi Mumbai to Dadri in Uttar Pradesh, traversing five states and serving as a crucial freight link for containers, imported coal, fertilisers, and foodgrains. Its twin, the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor, connects northern power plants to eastern coalfields. In Maharashtra,WDFC trial operations began on Apr-il 27, with a successful speed run on the 75km New Umbergaon Road–New Saphale stretch. The corridor's commissioning, originally scheduled for March 2025, was pushed to Dec due to various execution-related hurdles. The latest episode adds to DFCCIL's growing list of execution woes. In 2022, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India flagged delays on both dedicated freight corridors in its compliance audit for the year ending March 2020. The report cited a slow pace in land acquisition, utility shifting, finalisation of design, and delays in overhead equipment works, leading to significant cost escalations. According to the CAG, DFCCIL incurred Rs 2,233.8 crore by March 2021 toward price escalation and anticipated an additional liability of nearly Rs 2,671.3 crore. The report, tabled in Parliament in April 2022, warned of systemic issues and inadequate interface coordination between contractors and the executing agency.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
1 Consumer Stock to Target This Week and 2 to Think Twice About
Regarded as defensive investments, consumer staples stocks are generally safe bets in choppy markets. Unfortunately, the sector hasn't provided much protection lately as it pulled back by 12.2% over the past six months. This drop was worse than the S&P 500's 4.7% fall. Only some companies are subject to these dynamics, however, and a handful of high-quality businesses can deliver earnings growth in any environment. On that note, here is one consumer stock boasting a durable advantage and two that may face trouble. Market Cap: $3.14 billion Short for 'Water Displacement perfected on the 40th try', WD-40 (NASDAQ:WDFC) is a renowned American consumer goods company known for its iconic and versatile spray, WD-40 Multi-Use Product. Why Does WDFC Worry Us? Annual revenue growth of 5.7% over the last three years was below our standards for the consumer staples sector Subscale operations are evident in its revenue base of $610.6 million, meaning it has fewer distribution channels than its larger rivals 10 percentage point decline in its free cash flow margin over the last year reflects the company's increased investments to defend its market position WD-40 is trading at $224.50 per share, or 40.3x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including WDFC in your portfolio, it's free. Market Cap: $11.22 billion Founded in 1919 as Nebraska Consolidated Mills in Omaha, Nebraska, Conagra Brands today (NYSE:CAG) boasts a diverse portfolio of packaged foods brands that includes everything from whipped cream to jarred pickles to frozen meals. Why Do We Pass on CAG? Falling unit sales over the past two years suggest it might have to lower prices to stimulate growth Demand will likely fall over the next 12 months as Wall Street expects flat revenue Costs have risen faster than its revenue over the last year, causing its operating margin to decline by 7.9 percentage points Conagra's stock price of $23.55 implies a valuation ratio of 9.6x forward P/E. If you're considering CAG for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more. Market Cap: $3.82 billion Short for "eyes, lips, face", e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE:ELF) is a developer of high-quality beauty products at accessible price points. Why Are We Positive On ELF? Remarkable 50.8% revenue growth over the last three years demonstrates its ability to capture significant market share Differentiated product offerings are difficult to replicate at scale and result in a best-in-class gross margin of 70.8% Earnings per share grew by 52.9% annually over the last three years and trumped its peers At $67.69 per share, e.l.f. Beauty trades at 16.8x forward P/E. Is now a good time to buy? See for yourself in our comprehensive research report, it's free. The market surged in 2024 and reached record highs after Donald Trump's presidential victory in November, but questions about new economic policies are adding much uncertainty for 2025. While the crowd speculates what might happen next, we're homing in on the companies that can succeed regardless of the political or macroeconomic environment. Put yourself in the driver's seat and build a durable portfolio by checking out our Top 5 Strong Momentum Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 175% over the last five years. Stocks that made our list in 2019 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+2,183% between December 2019 and December 2024) as well as under-the-radar businesses like Axon (+711% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
1 of Wall Street's Favorite Stock with Solid Fundamentals and 2 to Be Wary Of
Wall Street is overwhelmingly bullish on the stocks in this article, with price targets suggesting significant upside potential. However, it's worth remembering that analysts rarely issue sell ratings, partly because their firms often seek other business from the same companies they cover. Unlike the investment banks, we created StockStory to provide independent analysis that helps you determine which companies are truly worth following. That said, here is one stock where Wall Street's excitement appears well-founded and two where analysts may be overlooking some important risks. Consensus Price Target: $296 (30.9% implied return) Short for 'Water Displacement perfected on the 40th try', WD-40 (NASDAQ:WDFC) is a renowned American consumer goods company known for its iconic and versatile spray, WD-40 Multi-Use Product. Why Does WDFC Worry Us? Annual revenue growth of 5.7% over the last three years was below our standards for the consumer staples sector Smaller revenue base of $610.6 million means it hasn't achieved the economies of scale that some industry juggernauts enjoy 10 percentage point decline in its free cash flow margin over the last year reflects the company's increased investments to defend its market position WD-40's stock price of $226.16 implies a valuation ratio of 39.1x forward price-to-earnings. To fully understand why you should be careful with WDFC, check out our full research report (it's free). Consensus Price Target: $9.34 (32.6% implied return) Formerly known as Hotshine Holdings, Mister Car Wash (NYSE:MCW) offers car washes across the United States through its conveyorized service. Why Do We Think MCW Will Underperform? Poor same-store sales performance over the past two years indicates it's having trouble bringing new shoppers into its stores Waning returns on capital imply its previous profit engines are losing steam Depletion of cash reserves could lead to a fundraising event that triggers shareholder dilution At $7.19 per share, Mister Car Wash trades at 17.6x forward price-to-earnings. If you're considering MCW for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more. Consensus Price Target: $22.95 (48.1% implied return) When Oren Netzer saw a digital ad for US-based Target while sitting in his Tel Aviv apartment, he knew there was an unsolved problem, so he started DoubleVerify (NYSE:DV), a provider of advertising solutions to businesses that helps with ad verification, fraud prevention, and brand safety. Why Are We Fans of DV? Customers use its software daily and increase their spending every year, as seen in its 119% net revenue retention rate Well-designed software integrates seamlessly with other workflows, enabling swift payback periods on marketing expenses and customer growth at scale Excellent operating margin of 12.5% highlights the efficiency of its business model DoubleVerify is trading at $12.92 per share, or 3x forward price-to-sales. Is now a good time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it's free. The market surged in 2024 and reached record highs after Donald Trump's presidential victory in November, but questions about new economic policies are adding much uncertainty for 2025. While the crowd speculates what might happen next, we're homing in on the companies that can succeed regardless of the political or macroeconomic environment. Put yourself in the driver's seat and build a durable portfolio by checking out our Top 5 Strong Momentum Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 175% over the last five years. Stocks that made our list in 2019 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+2,183% between December 2019 and December 2024) as well as under-the-radar businesses like United Rentals (+322% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WD-40 Margins Expand In Q2, Raises 2025 Profit Outlook
WD-40 Company (NASDAQ:WDFC) stock is trading higher on Tuesday after it reported mixed second-quarter 2025 results. Total sales for the quarter increased by 5% year-over-year to $146.104 million, missing the consensus of $154.41 million. The adjusted EPS stood at $1.32, up 16% year-over-year, beating the consensus of $1.27. Total maintenance product sales rose 6% to $139.3 million despite a $4.9 million forex-related sales impact. Also Read: Maintenance products drove 95% of the quarterly net sales, up 6% year over year, while homecare and cleaning sales—5% of the total—fell 14% as the company plans to exit that segment. Gross profit increased by 9.3% YoY to $79.72 million, and the margin expanded by 213 bps to 54.6%. 'Our core maintenance product sales grew by 6 percent in the second quarter, aligning with our established long-term growth objectives. We're particularly pleased with the volume performance in our business, with double-digit volume growth both in the second quarter and year to date, led by EIMEA. Additionally, we continue to expand our gross margin, which improved 220 basis points over the prior year. While we experienced slower growth in our Asia-Pacific segment, we've begun to see recovery in March and expect a strong second half as we advance through fiscal year 2025,' commented Steve Brass, WD-40 Company's president and chief executive officer. Operating income for the quarter improved by 11.2% YoY to $23.28 million, and the margin expanded by 88 bps to 15.9%. WDFC's net cash from operating activities totaled $22.91 million for the first six months of February, compared to $44.89 million a year ago. Dividend: On March 18, 2025, WDFC's board of directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.94 per share payable on April 30, 2025, to stockholders of record date April 18, 2025. Repurchase: From September 1, 2024, through the end of the second quarter, the company repurchased 26,250 shares at $6.7 million. 2025 Outlook: WD-40 reiterated guidance for net sales at $600 million-$630 million, 6%-11% growth versus consensus of $627.1 million. The company raised its EPS guidance to $5.00-$5.30 (from $4.78-$5.15 earlier), compared to the consensus of $5.12. The company now expects a full-year gross margin between 55–56% (prior 54%-55%), with advertising spending remaining at ~6% of net sales. Operating income is projected at $95–$100 million, reflecting 6–12% growth over 2024 pro forma results. Price Action: WDFC shares are trading higher by 1.17% at $240.71 at the last check on Tuesday. Read Next:Photo by Benedek Alpar via Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? WD-40 (WDFC): Free Stock Analysis Report This article WD-40 Margins Expand In Q2, Raises 2025 Profit Outlook originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WD-40: Fiscal Q2 Earnings Snapshot
SAN DIEGO (AP) — SAN DIEGO (AP) — WD-40 Co. (WDFC) on Tuesday reported profit of $29.9 million in its fiscal second quarter. On a per-share basis, the San Diego-based company said it had net income of $2.19. Earnings, adjusted for pretax gains, were $1.32 per share. The maintenance and cleaning product company posted revenue of $146.1 million in the period. WD-40 expects full-year earnings to be $5.25 to $5.55 per share, with revenue in the range of $600 million to $630 million. _____ This story was generated by Automated Insights ( using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on WDFC at
