The U.S. ports strike, which is now in its second day, could have implications for specialty distribution companies, according to analyst firm Stifel. The strike, by the International Longshoremen’s Association, began Tuesday and is affecting U.S. East Coast and Gulf ports from Maine to Texas.

The stoppage is the first coast-wide ILA strike since 1977 and halts the flow of about half the nation's ocean shipping. A two-week strike could mean that ports would not return t