Specialty Metals

I have been following three specialty metals stocks very closely over the past 2 years. All three have pulled back from their recent highs and offer attractive buying opportunities. The titanium industry has been red hot since the market bottomed in 2003. Titanium is a major component of new airplanes. Just take a look at Boeing’s backlog and see the high demand for titanium. Or look at Harold Simmons, CEO of Titanium Metals (TIE) who has been consistently buying his stock under $30.

Three Titanium Stocks Worth Owning
Allegheny Technologies (ATI): Forward P/E: 12
RTI International Metals (RTI): Forward P/E: 14
Titanium Metals (TIE): Forward P/E: 16

Attractive valuations and future growth prospects will drive M&A activity in the metals sector. We are already seeing this with the aluminum and steel stocks. Titanium is next. RTI looks the most compelling because it will be the easiest to swallow with a market cap just under $2 billion. A company like Arcellor Mittal (MT) can do an all cash acquisition of RTI. An all cash acquisition is more friendly to the company being acquired. Issuing stock to make an acquisition can signal to the market that management of the acquiring company believes that their stock is overvalued and is using the strength in their stock price to make an acquisition. The cash component also protects the shareholders of the company being acquired to serve as downside protection against any merger difficulties. The downside of the cash component is that shareholders in the acquired company will not receive any potential upside from the merger synergies except in the form of the acquisition premium (cash).

Note: I have no positions in ATI, RTI, or TIE. I am long MT.