As I mentioned about a month ago in a discussion of Gorman-Rupp (GRC), almost any company with substantial operations in water infrastructure gets a premium in the market. As one of the largest and most diversified pure-plays on the water sector, it's no surprise that Xylem (XYL) too carries such a premium. That leaves investors with a valuation quandary - absent acquisition interest from a larger company, is this a good name to add to a portfolio today?
Sluggish Q4 Results Highlight Some Market Challenges...
Xylem may have leading share in most of its businesses, but fourth quarter results are a good case-in-point for how/why a strong business isn't immune to the markets it serves....