As the Q3 earnings season comes to a close, it’s time to take stock of this quarter’s best and worst performers in the industrial distributors industry, including Beacon Roofing Supply (NASDAQ:BECN) and its peers.
Supply chain and inventory management are themes that grew in focus after COVID wreaked havoc on the global movement of raw materials and components. Distributors that boast a reliable selection of products–everything from hardhats and fasteners for jet engines to ceiling systems–and quickly deliver goods to customers can benefit from this theme. While e-commerce hasn’t disrupted industrial distribution as much as consumer retail, it is still a real threat, forcing investment in omnichannel capabilities to better interact with customers. Additionally, distributors are at the whim of economic cycles that impact the capital spending and construction projects that can juice demand.
The 29 industrial distributors stocks we track reported a slower Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.6%.
While some industrial distributors stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have collectively declined. On average, share prices are down 1.3% since the latest earnings results.
Beacon Roofing Supply (NASDAQ:BECN)
Established in 1928, Beacon Roofing Supply (NASDAQ:BECN) distributes residential and commercial roofing materials and complementary building products.
Beacon Roofing Supply reported revenues of $2.77 billion, up 7.3% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, but overall, it was a softer quarter for the company with a miss of analysts’ organic revenue and adjusted operating income estimates.
“Beacon’s third quarter results demonstrated the resilience of our business model and the team’s strong execution on our Ambition 2025 initiatives,” said Julian Francis, Beacon’s President & CEO.
Interestingly, the stock is up 8.5% since reporting and currently trades at $103.49.
Read our full report on Beacon Roofing Supply here, it’s free.
Best Q3: DXP (NASDAQ:DXPE)
Founded during the emergence of Big Oil in Texas, DXP (NASDAQ:DXPE) provides pumps, valves, and other industrial components.
DXP reported revenues of $472.9 million, up 12.8% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 6.8%. The business had an incredible quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.
The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 62.3% since reporting. It currently trades at $82.62.
Is now the time to buy DXP? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Weakest Q3: Alta (NYSE:ALTG)
Founded in 1984, Alta Equipment Group (NYSE:ALTG) is a provider of industrial and construction equipment and services across the Midwest and Northeast United States.
Alta reported revenues of $448.8 million, down 3.7% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 6.5%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted and a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.
Alta delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 18.9% since the results and currently trades at $6.51.
Read our full analysis of Alta’s results here.
DistributionNOW (NYSE:DNOW)
Spun off from National Oilwell Varco, DistributionNOW (NYSE:DNOW) provides distribution and supply chain solutions for the energy and industrial end markets.
DistributionNOW reported revenues of $606 million, up 3.1% year on year. This result came in 1.5% below analysts' expectations. Overall, it was a slower quarter as it also produced a miss of analysts’ EBITDA and EPS estimates.
The stock is down 5.4% since reporting and currently trades at $13.01.
Read our full, actionable report on DistributionNOW here, it’s free.
GATX (NYSE:GATX)
Originally founded to ship beer, GATX (NYSE:GATX) provides leasing and management services for railcars and other transportation assets globally.
GATX reported revenues of $405.4 million, up 12.6% year on year. This number topped analysts’ expectations by 3.5%. Overall, it was a stunning quarter as it also put up a solid beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and full-year EPS guidance beating analysts’ expectations.
The stock is up 18.3% since reporting and currently trades at $154.96.
Read our full, actionable report on GATX 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 has thrived in 2024, spurred by recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% each in November and December), 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 the pace and magnitude of future rate cuts as well as potential changes in trade policy and corporate taxes once the Trump administration takes over. The path forward is marked by uncertainty.
Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 6 Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.
Join Paid Stock Investor Research
Help us make StockStory more helpful to investors like yourself. Join our paid user research session and receive a $50 Amazon gift card for your opinions. Sign up here.
