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 Hillman (NASDAQ: HLMN) and the rest of the professional tools and equipment stocks fared in Q2.

Automation that increases efficiency and connected equipment that collects analyzable data have been trending, creating new demand. Some professional tools and equipment companies also provide software to accompany measurement or automated machinery, adding a stream of recurring revenues to their businesses. On the other hand, professional tools and equipment 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 9 professional tools and equipment stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q2. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.7% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady. On average, they are relatively unchanged since the latest earnings results.

Hillman (NASDAQ: HLMN)

Established when Max Hillman purchased a franchise operation, Hillman (NASDAQ: HLMN) designs, manufactures, and sells industrial equipment and systems for various sectors.

Hillman reported revenues of $402.8 million, up 6.2% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 2.6%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

"Our team has done a fantastic job successfully managing the tariff environment while continuing to provide great customer service at the shelf and delivering orders on-time and in-full," commented Jon Michael Adinolfi, President and CEO of Hillman.

Hillman achieved the highest full-year guidance raise of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is up 28.3% since reporting and currently trades at $10.44.

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

Best Q2: Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ: LECO)

Headquartered in Ohio, Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ: LECO) manufactures and sells welding equipment for various industries.

Lincoln Electric reported revenues of $1.09 billion, up 6.6% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 5.1%. The business had a stunning quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

Lincoln Electric scored the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 9.8% since reporting. It currently trades at $245.50.

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

Weakest Q2: Kennametal (NYSE: KMT)

Involved in manufacturing hard tips of anti-tank projectiles in World War II, Kennametal (NYSE: KMT) is a provider of industrial materials and tools for various sectors.

Kennametal reported revenues of $516.4 million, down 4.9% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.9%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted full-year EPS guidance missing analysts’ expectations significantly and a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

Kennametal delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and weakest full-year guidance update in the group. As expected, the stock is down 14.5% since the results and currently trades at $21.49.

Read our full analysis of Kennametal’s results here.

ESAB (NYSE: ESAB)

Having played a significant role in the construction of the iconic Sydney Opera House, ESAB (NYSE: ESAB) manufactures and sells welding and cutting equipment for numerous industries.

ESAB reported revenues of $715.6 million, up 1.2% year on year. This result topped analysts’ expectations by 6%. It was a strong quarter as it also produced an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

ESAB scored the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The stock is down 13.3% since reporting and currently trades at $114.42.

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

Middleby (NASDAQ: MIDD)

Holding a Guinness World Record for creating the world’s fastest conveyor pizza oven, Middleby (NYSE: MIDD) is a food service and equipment manufacturer.

Middleby reported revenues of $977.9 million, down 1.4% year on year. This print beat analysts’ expectations by 0.6%. Aside from that, it was a slower quarter as it recorded full-year EBITDA guidance missing analysts’ expectations significantly and EBITDA guidance for next quarter missing analysts’ expectations significantly.

The stock is down 5.4% since reporting and currently trades at $137.

Read our full, actionable report on Middleby 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.

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.

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