While profitability is essential, it doesn’t guarantee long-term success. Some companies that rest on their margins will lose ground as competition intensifies - as Jeff Bezos said, "Your margin is my opportunity".

Not all profitable companies are created equal, and that’s why we built StockStory - to help you find the ones that truly shine bright. That said, here is one profitable company that leverages its financial strength to beat the competition and two best left off your watchlist.

Two Industrials Stocks to Sell:

Huntington Ingalls (HII)

Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 4.7%

Building Nimitz-class aircraft carriers used in active service, Huntington Ingalls (NYSE: HII) develops marine vessels and their mission systems and maintenance services.

Why Are We Out on HII?

1. Sales pipeline suggests its future revenue growth may not meet our standards as its average backlog growth of 1.8% for the past two years was weak
2. Free cash flow margin shrank by 9.2 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive
3. Eroding returns on capital suggest its historical profit centers are aging

Huntington Ingalls is trading at $228.16 per share, or 16.1x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including HII in your portfolio.

Norfolk Southern (NSC)

Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 41.3%

Starting with a single route from Virginia to North Carolina, Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) is a freight transportation company operating a major railroad network across the eastern United States.

Why Do We Steer Clear of NSC?

1. Weak unit sales over the past two years suggest it might have to lower prices to accelerate growth
2. Earnings per share have contracted by 8.2% annually over the last two years, a headwind for returns as stock prices often echo long-term EPS performance
3. Free cash flow margin dropped by 11.8 percentage points over the last five years, implying the company became more capital intensive as competition picked up

Norfolk Southern’s stock price of $243.91 implies a valuation ratio of 18.6x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than NSC.

One Industrials Stock to Watch:

Wabtec (WAB)

Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 15.9%

Also known as Wabtec, Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (NYSE: WAB) provides equipment, systems, and related software for the railway industry.

Why Are We Fans of WAB?

1. Core business is healthy and doesn’t need acquisitions to boost sales as its organic revenue growth averaged 9.5% over the past two years
2. Operating profits increased over the last five years as the company gained some leverage on its fixed costs and became more efficient
3. Share repurchases have amplified shareholder returns as its annual earnings per share growth of 25.5% exceeded its revenue gains over the last two years

At $204.24 per share, Wabtec trades at 23.5x forward P/E. Is now the time to initiate a position? See for yourself in our full research report, it’s free.

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