Kitchen product manufacturer Middleby (NYSE:MIDD) missed Wall Street’s revenue expectations in Q1 CY2025, with sales falling 2.2% year on year to $906.6 million. Its non-GAAP profit of $2.08 per share was 5.3% above analysts’ consensus estimates.
Wall Street has set ambitious price targets for the stocks in this article.
While this suggests attractive upside potential, it’s important to remain skeptical because analysts face institutional pressures that can sometimes lead to overly optimistic forecasts.
Industrials businesses quietly power the physical things we depend on, from cars and homes to e-commerce infrastructure. But they are at the whim of volatile macroeconomic factors that influence capital spending (like interest rates), and the market seems convinced that demand will slow.
Due to this bearish outlook, the industry has tumbled by 11.2% over the past six months. This drawdown was worse than the S&P 500’s 5.6% loss.
The end of the earnings season is always a good time to take a step back and see who shined (and who not so much). Let’s take a look at how professional tools and equipment stocks fared in Q4, starting with Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD).
In a sliding market, Middleby has defied the odds, trading up to $157.28 per share. Its 13% gain since September 2024 has outpaced the S&P 500’s 1.4% drop. This was partly thanks to its solid quarterly results, and the performance may have investors wondering how to approach the situation.
Earnings results often indicate what direction a company will take in the months ahead. With Q4 behind us, let’s have a look at Hyster-Yale Materials Handling (NYSE:HY) and its peers.
Kitchen product manufacturer Middleby (NYSE:MIDD) announced better-than-expected revenue in Q4 CY2024, but sales were flat year on year at $1.01 billion. Its non-GAAP profit of $2.88 per share was 14.2% above analysts’ consensus estimates.
Earnings results often indicate what direction a company will take in the months ahead. With Q3 behind us, let’s have a look at Hyster-Yale Materials Handling (NYSE:HY) and its peers.
Shares of kitchen product manufacturer Middleby (NYSE:MIDD)
jumped 15.1% in the afternoon session after The Wall Street Journal reported that activist Garden Investments built a ~5% stake in the company and plans to push for changes. This move is noteworthy given that activist investors often bring about significant changes in targeted companies, focusing on improving asset monetization, expense efficiency, and stock buybacks.
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