As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q1. Today, we are looking at general industrial machinery stocks, starting with Luxfer (NYSE: LXFR).
Automation that increases efficiency and connected equipment that collects analyzable data have been trending, creating new demand for general industrial machinery companies. Those who innovate and create digitized solutions can spur sales and speed up replacement cycles, but all general industrial machinery companies are still at the whim of economic cycles. Consumer spending and interest rates, for example, can greatly impact the industrial production that drives demand for these companies’ offerings.
The 15 general industrial machinery stocks we track reported a mixed Q1. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.1% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 1.5% below.
In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 4.6% on average since the latest earnings results.
Best Q1: Luxfer (NYSE: LXFR)
With its magnesium alloys used in the construction of the famous Spirit of St. Louis aircraft, Luxfer (NYSE: LXFR) offers specialized materials, components, and gas containment devices to various industries.
Luxfer reported revenues of $97 million, up 8.5% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 11.9%. Overall, it was an incredible quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.
Luxfer pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is up 15.7% since reporting and currently trades at $11.56.
Is now the time to buy Luxfer? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON)
Originally founded in 1906 as a thermostat company, Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) is a multinational conglomerate known for its aerospace systems, building technologies, performance materials, and safety and productivity solutions.
Honeywell reported revenues of $9.82 billion, up 7.9% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 2.5%. The business had a very strong quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.
The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 10.6% since reporting. It currently trades at $221.85.
Is now the time to buy Honeywell? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Weakest Q1: Icahn Enterprises (NASDAQ: IEP)
Founded in 1987, Icahn Enterprises (NASDAQ: IEP) is a diversified holding company primarily engaged in investment and asset management across various sectors.
Icahn Enterprises reported revenues of $1.87 billion, down 24.6% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 29%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.
Icahn Enterprises delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth in the group. As expected, the stock is down 1.1% since the results and currently trades at $8.63.
Read our full analysis of Icahn Enterprises’s results here.
Dover (NYSE: DOV)
A company that manufactured critical equipment for the United States military during World War II, Dover (NYSE: DOV) manufactures engineered components and specialized equipment for numerous industries.
Dover reported revenues of $1.87 billion, flat year on year. This print missed analysts’ expectations by 0.7%. It was a slower quarter as it also produced a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates and a slight miss of analysts’ organic revenue estimates.
The stock is up 5.6% since reporting and currently trades at $175.70.
Read our full, actionable report on Dover here, it’s free.
GE Aerospace (NYSE: GE)
One of the original 12 companies on the Dow Jones Industrial Average, General Electric (NYSE: GE) is a multinational conglomerate providing technologies for various sectors including aviation, power, renewable energy, and healthcare.
GE Aerospace reported revenues of $9.00 billion, up 11.5% year on year. This result lagged analysts' expectations by 7.9%. Zooming out, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also logged an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates but full-year EPS guidance missing analysts’ expectations.
The stock is up 31.8% since reporting and currently trades at $235.01.
Read our full, actionable report on GE Aerospace here, it’s free.
Market Update
As a result of the Fed’s rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has come down from frothy levels post-pandemic. The general rise in the price of goods and services is trending towards the Fed’s 2% goal as of late, which is good news. The higher rates that fought inflation also didn't slow economic activity enough to catalyze a recession. So far, soft landing. This, combined with recent rate cuts (half a percent in September 2024 and a quarter percent in November 2024) have led to strong stock market performance in 2024. The icing on the cake for 2024 returns was Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. Presidential Election in early November, sending major indices to all-time highs in the week following the election. Still, debates around the health of the economy and the impact of potential tariffs and corporate tax cuts remain, leaving much uncertainty around 2025.
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