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CMICummins Inc.Sell4.6·$717.99+3.33%
CMI · Why this verdict

Why Cummins (CMI) is rated SELL

Updated

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

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Methodology · Editorial policy & full disclaimer

VerdictSELL
Overall score4.6/10
ConfidenceMEDIUM
MacroNEUTRAL
TrendMatrix Research · core thesis

Engine thesis — one sentence

Cummins trades just below its analyst consensus target with essentially no remaining upside, has missed earnings estimates in three consecutive quarters by an average of roughly 16%, and carries two high-severity concentration risks — a combination that makes the current setup unfavorable for new or increased positions despite technical support above the 200-day moving average.

Falsifiable statement — pillar-level invalidators below. Engine-derived; not personalized advice.

Thesis pillars

The three most recent quarters have each missed consensus EPS estimates by significant margins — -16.3%, -14.9%, and -19.1% respectively — with an average surprise of -6.4% across all four quarters, suggesting a sustained pattern of earnings deterioration that analyst estimates have not yet fully reflected.

Stable
Earnings
Expectation
The earnings miss streak ends when EPS surprises turn positive by more than 5% for 2 consecutive quarters, indicating that estimates have been reset low enough to allow beats.

CounterThe oldest of the four reported quarters delivered a 24.7% upside surprise, which means the company has demonstrated the capacity to beat substantially; a single positive estimate reset could quickly snap the miss streak.

At $679.71, the stock sits just $0.83 below its analyst consensus target of $680.54 — approximately 0.1% of remaining headroom — meaning the current price already reflects the full consensus bull case, leaving no reward cushion for new buyers and a negative asymmetry ratio.

Stable
Price targets
Expectation
Meaningful upside returns when analyst consensus targets are revised above $748 (more than 10% above the current price), re-establishing a sufficient reward margin.

CounterIf earnings stabilize and analysts revise targets higher following a positive quarter, the target ceiling can rise quickly; a stock near its current target is one upgrade cycle away from restored upside.

Two high-severity and one medium-severity concentration risks have been identified — geographic exposure to China-based investees and dependence on single-source parts and raw materials — each of which represents a vulnerability that could impair earnings if either relationship is disrupted.

Stable
Risk breakdown
Expectation
Revenue grows more than 5% year-over-year for 2 consecutive quarters with no concentration-related charges reported, demonstrating that these structural vulnerabilities have not translated into financial harm.

CounterConcentration risks that have not materialized in prior periods may be well-managed; a long-established supplier or investee relationship implies both parties have incentives to maintain continuity, reducing the practical probability of disruption.

Despite the earnings headwinds, the stock trades above its 200-day moving average with rising on-balance volume — indicating that institutional buying is occurring and that technical support is intact, which limits near-term downside.

Stable
Momentum breakdown
Expectation
Price continues to hold above the 200-day moving average and on-balance volume maintains an upward trend over the next six months.

CounterTechnical support can fail quickly if earnings deteriorate further; a fourth consecutive miss could trigger a gap lower that breaks moving-average support and reverses the accumulation signal.

Per-dimension breakdown

Value

4.6/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
P/E3.5
P/S8.4
EV/EBITDA0.0
Fwd P/E6.3
PEG4.8
Analyst target4.0
  • Forward P/E: 20.5x
  • PEG: 1.67

Quality

5.1/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
ROE7.3
ROA4.8
Gross margin1.2
Op margin3.9
Net margin3.9
Current ratio6.1
FCF quality4.9
Moat5.6
Piotroski F7.8
  • Earnings quality warning: 63% FCF/NI
  • Strong Piotroski F-Score: 7/9

Growth

1.6/10data confidence 67%
ComponentSub-score
Rev growth3.2
EPS growth0.0

Momentum

5.1/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
RSI5.5
MACD10.0
OBV1.0
MA position9.0
Volume0.0
  • Volume distribution (falling OBV)
  • Above 200-day MA

Sentiment

7.1/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
LLM sentiment8.0
Analyst rating7.5
Price target5.6
  • LLM news sentiment: +0.60 (n=3)

Insider

5.0/10data confidence 50%
ComponentSub-score
materiality5.0
holder change5.1
  • Insider selling (low materiality) — $9,829,505 (0.010% of mkt cap)

Peer rank

3.2/10data confidence 80%
ComponentSub-score
value rank5.1
quality rank5.9
growth rank1.7
  • Superior ROE vs peers

Technical

4.5/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
bollinger1.6
support resistance2.0
52w position9.4
gap5.0

Risk (lower is worse)

6.8/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
short interest9.1
days to cover8.8
volatility2.8
put call7.7
implied vol6.0
beta6.0
debt equity7.3
  • Concentration risks: 2 HIGH, 1 MED (10-K Item 1A — sized via position_sizing, validated via buy_confidence)

Catalyst

5.8/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
erm5.0
earnings history6.7
earnings timing5.0
surprise avg6.0
dividend safety4.8
news activity7.0
  • Strong earnings: 3B/1M
  • Yield trap warning: high yield but unsafe

How the verdict was assembled

Engine trigger

Multiple concerning factors. Consider reducing position.

Engine technical detail
verdict_path: L4:PATH_F_SELL
Passed (6)
  • MOMENTUM:5.1>=4.5
  • INSIDER:OK
  • 8K:CLEAN
  • EARNINGS_PROXIMITY:39d clear
  • SEMI_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
  • MATERIALS_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
Failed (1)
  • ASYMMETRY:-0.5=NEGATIVE
Warning (1)
  • MOMENTUM:5.1<5.5 (soft — BUY_NOW allowed but watch)
Reward-to-Risk
-0.53
Upside
-6.4%
Downside
12.2%
Sizing output
AVOID

SetupBREAKOUT Golden cross, above all MAs, RSI 58, MACD bullish

EdgeNO_EDGE No clear edge identified

SuitabilityMODERATE Balanced profile

Investment implication

The F-path SELL output reflects an overall score of 4.6 below the 5.6 soft trigger — multiple weakening dimensions accumulated rather than a single hard-floor breach. The strongest dimension ( Sentiment at 7.1) was not enough to lift the adjusted overall above the threshold. Co-occurring failed gates ( ASYMMETRY:-0.5=NEGATIVE) reinforce the read. Current asymmetry R:R is -0.53 — supplementary context, not the trigger for this path.

The strongest dimensions are Sentiment at 7.1, Risk (lower is worse) at 6.8, and Catalyst at 5.8; the weakest are Growth at 1.6, Peer rank at 3.2, and Technical at 4.5. The V9 engine flagged 1 failed gate with 1 warning, producing an asymmetric reward-to-risk of -0.53 and an engine sizing output of AVOID.

What would invalidate the thesis

Falsifying conditions — when triggered, the corresponding pillar's thesis is invalidated.

  • P1The three most recent quarters have each missed consensus EPS estimates by significant margins — -16.3%, -14.9%, and -19.1% respectively — with an average surprise of -6.4% across all four quarters, suggesting a sustained pattern of earnings deterioration that analyst estimates have not yet fully reflected.

    Trip ifEPS surprise exceeds +5% for 2 consecutive reported quarters, breaking the pattern of consecutive earnings underperformance.

  • P2At $679.71, the stock sits just $0.83 below its analyst consensus target of $680.54 — approximately 0.1% of remaining headroom — meaning the current price already reflects the full consensus bull case, leaving no reward cushion for new buyers and a negative asymmetry ratio.

    Trip ifAnalyst consensus price target is revised above $748, restoring more than 10% upside from the current price level.

  • P3Two high-severity and one medium-severity concentration risks have been identified — geographic exposure to China-based investees and dependence on single-source parts and raw materials — each of which represents a vulnerability that could impair earnings if either relationship is disrupted.

    Trip ifRevenue grows more than 5% year-over-year for 2 consecutive quarters with no concentration-related charges, indicating that geographic and supplier risks have not materialized.

  • P4Despite the earnings headwinds, the stock trades above its 200-day moving average with rising on-balance volume — indicating that institutional buying is occurring and that technical support is intact, which limits near-term downside.

    Trip ifPrice falls below the 200-day moving average for 10 or more consecutive trading days, breaking technical support.

Engine reasoning is mechanically derived from pipeline gate outputs. See decision view.

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