Quarterly earnings results are a good time to check in on a company’s progress, especially compared to its peers in the same sector. Today we are looking at Global Industrial (NYSE: GIC) and the best and worst performers in the maintenance and repair distributors industry.

Supply chain and inventory management are themes that grew in focus after COVID wreaked havoc on the global movement of raw materials and components. Maintenance and repair distributors that boast reliable selection and quickly deliver products 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 serve customers everywhere. Additionally, maintenance and repair distributors are at the whim of economic cycles that impact the capital spending and construction projects that can juice demand.

The 9 maintenance and repair distributors stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q1. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates.

Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 8.3% on average since the latest earnings results.

Best Q1: Global Industrial (NYSE: GIC)

Formerly known as Systemax, Global Industrial (NYSE: GIC) distributes industrial and commercial products to businesses and institutions.

Global Industrial reported revenues of $321 million, flat year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 4.6%. 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.

Global Industrial pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is up 20.6% since reporting and currently trades at $26.70.

Is now the time to buy Global Industrial? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Transcat (NASDAQ: TRNS)

Serving the pharmaceutical, industrial manufacturing, energy, and chemical process industries, Transcat (NASDAQ: TRNS) provides measurement instruments and supplies.

Transcat reported revenues of $77.13 million, up 8.8% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 1%. The business had a very strong quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 13.5% since reporting. It currently trades at $92.04.

Is now the time to buy Transcat? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q1: Distribution Solutions (NASDAQ: DSGR)

Founded in 1952, Distribution Solutions (NASDAQ: DSGR) provides supply chain solutions and distributes industrial, safety, and maintenance products to various industries.

Distribution Solutions reported revenues of $478 million, up 14.9% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 3.8%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA and EPS estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 8.6% since the results and currently trades at $28.29.

Read our full analysis of Distribution Solutions’s results here.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE: GWW)

Founded as a supplier of motors, W.W. Grainger (NYSE: GWW) provides maintenance, repair, and operating (MRO) supplies and services to businesses and institutions.

W.W. Grainger reported revenues of $4.31 billion, up 1.7% year on year. This number met analysts’ expectations. Aside from that, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also recorded an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates but full-year revenue guidance slightly missing analysts’ expectations.

The stock is up 6.5% since reporting and currently trades at $1,090.

Read our full, actionable report on W.W. Grainger here, it’s free.

WESCO (NYSE: WCC)

Based in Pittsburgh, WESCO (NYSE: WCC) provides electrical, industrial, and communications products and augments them with services such as supply chain management.

WESCO reported revenues of $5.34 billion, flat year on year. This result beat analysts’ expectations by 1.8%. However, it was a slower quarter as it recorded a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates and a miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is up 3.9% since reporting and currently trades at $168.94.

Read our full, actionable report on WESCO here, it’s free.

Market Update

Thanks to the Fed’s rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has been on a steady path downward, easing back toward that 2% sweet spot. Fortunately (miraculously to some), all this tightening didn’t send the economy tumbling into a recession, so here we are, cautiously celebrating a soft landing. The cherry on top? Recent rate cuts (half a point in September 2024, a quarter in November) have propped up markets, especially after Trump’s November win lit a fire under major indices and sent them to all-time highs. However, there’s still plenty to ponder — tariffs, corporate tax cuts, and what 2025 might hold for the economy.

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.