The end of an earnings season can be a great time to discover new stocks and assess how companies are handling the current business environment. Let’s take a look at how Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR) and the rest of the gas and liquid handling stocks fared in Q1.
Gas and liquid handling companies possess the technical know-how and specialized equipment to handle valuable (and sometimes dangerous) substances. Lately, water conservation and carbon capture–which requires hydrogen and other gasses as well as specialized infrastructure–have been trending up, creating new demand for products such as filters, pumps, and valves. On the other hand, gas and liquid handling companies are 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 12 gas and liquid handling stocks we track reported a strong Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.8% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.
Luckily, gas and liquid handling stocks have performed well with share prices up 16.7% on average since the latest earnings results.
Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR)
Started with the invention of the steam drill, Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR) provides mission-critical air, gas, liquid, and solid flow creation solutions.
Ingersoll Rand reported revenues of $1.72 billion, up 2.8% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, but overall, it was a slower quarter for the company with full-year EBITDA guidance missing analysts’ expectations.
Interestingly, the stock is up 19.9% since reporting and currently trades at $91.34.
Is now the time to buy Ingersoll Rand? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Best Q1: Helios (NYSE:HLIO)
Founded on the principle of treating others as one wants to be treated, Helios (NYSE:HLIO) designs, manufactures, and sells motion and electronic control components for various sectors.
Helios reported revenues of $195.5 million, down 7.8% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 3.8%. The business had an exceptional quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ organic revenue and EBITDA estimates.
Helios delivered the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 33.7% since reporting. It currently trades at $36.25.
Is now the time to buy Helios? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Slowest Q1: Parker-Hannifin (NYSE:PH)
Founded in 1917, Parker Hannifin (NYSE:PH) is a manufacturer of motion and control systems for a wide variety of mobile, industrial and aerospace markets.
Parker-Hannifin reported revenues of $4.96 billion, down 2.2% year on year, in line with analysts’ expectations. It was a slower quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates and a slight miss of analysts’ organic revenue estimates.
Interestingly, the stock is up 18.1% since the results and currently trades at $713.
Read our full analysis of Parker-Hannifin’s results here.
Chart (NYSE:GTLS)
Installing the first bulk Co2 tank for McDonalds’s sodas, Chart (NYSE:GTLS) provides equipment to store and transport gasses.
Chart reported revenues of $1.00 billion, up 5.3% year on year. This result met analysts’ expectations. It was a very strong quarter as it also logged an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates and full-year EBITDA guidance exceeding analysts’ expectations.
Chart had the weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The stock is up 24.5% since reporting and currently trades at $167.85.
Read our full, actionable report on Chart here, it’s free.
Standex (NYSE:SXI)
Holding over 500 patents globally, Standex (NYSE:SXI) is a manufacturer and distributor of industrial components for various sectors.
Standex reported revenues of $207.8 million, up 17.2% year on year. This print topped analysts’ expectations by 1.7%. Taking a step back, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also produced a narrow beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but a slight miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.
Standex scored the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is up 12.6% since reporting and currently trades at $163.29.
Read our full, actionable report on Standex here, it’s free.
Market Update
Thanks to the Fed’s series of rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has cooled significantly from its post-pandemic highs, drawing closer to the 2% goal. This disinflation has occurred without severely impacting economic growth, suggesting the success of a soft landing. The stock market thrived in 2024, spurred by recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% in November), and a notable surge followed Donald Trump’s presidential election win in November, propelling indices to historic highs. Nonetheless, the outlook for 2025 remains clouded by potential trade policy changes and corporate tax discussions, which could impact business confidence and growth. The path forward holds both optimism and caution as new policies take shape.
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