CNH Industrial (NYSE:CNHI) (+19%; +0.92%), the maker of agricultural equipment, commercial vehicles and construction equipment, contributed again in the quarter. The core agricultural business reported its best results since 2013. This segment continued to see unit demand stabilize, and pricing power remained intact. The company expects margins to improve at all segments this year. The best news during the quarter was the earlier-than-expected upgrade of CNH to investment grade status, which is more meaningful for this company than most others we follow. The upgrade will increase the efficiency of the financing business while likely freeing up over $1 billion of now excess capital for more productive uses, including share repurchase. We are thankful for CEO Rich Tobin’s efforts on the operational front and believe that he will work with CNH’s significant owners at EXOR to continue to build value per share.
From Longleaf Partners' 2nd quarter 2017 shareholder letter.
