No one said investing was easy -- a consideration that comes to mind if you're thinking about buying stock in Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK). There's no doubt the company faces significant near-term headwinds. At the same time, its restructuring plan promises a potential "self-help" pathway to significantly improved profits in a few years.

Here's what you need to know if you're considering buying shares.

To understand where Stanley might be headed, it's helpful to look at where it's come from as well. Stanley suffered cost pressures from trade tariffs, unfavorable foreign exchange movements, and commodity cost increases for several years prior to 2020 -- note the decline in gross margin between 2018 and 2020.

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Source Fool.com