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 gas and liquid handling stocks fared in Q3, starting with Helios (NYSE:HLIO).

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 13 gas and liquid handling stocks we track reported a slower Q3. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.2%.

Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 6.3% on average since the latest earnings results.

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 $194.5 million, down 3.4% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 1%. Overall, it was a slower quarter for the company with full-year EBITDA and revenue guidance missing analysts’ expectations.

“The Helios team delivered solid results in line with our outlook for the quarter while we provided exceptional products, services and solutions to our customers, and drove operational efficiencies with strong cash management. These efforts contributed to the measurable margin expansion in the quarter. Our focus on inventory management helped us reach an inventory level we have not achieved since January 2023. This consistent reduction in inventory, operational efficiencies, and strong cash generation enabled us to reduce debt for the fifth consecutive quarter while we continued to improve our net debt leverage ratio. I believe we are a better, even more financially disciplined business than we were a year ago and expect that to be more evident as market conditions improve,” said Sean Bagan, Interim President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Financial Officer of Helios.

Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 8.8% since reporting and currently trades at $44.67.

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

Best Q3: IDEX (NYSE:IEX)

Founded in 1988, IDEX (NYSE:IEX) is a global manufacturer specializing in highly engineered products such as pumps, flow meters, and fluidics systems for various industries.

IDEX reported revenues of $798.2 million, flat year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 0.6%. The business had a satisfactory quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates but a slight miss of analysts’ organic revenue estimates.

The market seems content with the results as the stock is up 2.7% since reporting. It currently trades at $209.32.

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

Weakest Q3: Graco (NYSE:GGG)

Founded in 1926, Graco (NYSE:GGG) is an industrial company specializing in the development and manufacturing of fluid-handling systems and products.

Graco reported revenues of $519.2 million, down 3.8% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 3.4%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a miss of analysts’ Contractor revenue estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

The stock is flat since the results and currently trades at $83.05.

Read our full analysis of Graco’s results here.

ITT (NYSE:ITT)

Playing a crucial role in the development of the first transatlantic television transmission in 1956, ITT (NYSE:ITT) provides motion and fluid handling equipment for various industries

ITT reported revenues of $885.2 million, up 7.7% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations. Taking a step back, it was a mixed quarter as it also produced a decent beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates but organic revenue in line with analysts’ estimates.

The stock is flat since reporting and currently trades at $143.34.

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

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 $1.06 billion, up 18.3% year on year. This result missed analysts’ expectations by 3.1%. Overall, it was a slower quarter as it also logged full-year revenue and EBITDA guidance missing analysts’ expectations.

Chart pulled off the fastest revenue growth but had the weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The stock is up 70.7% since reporting and currently trades at $206.12.

Read our full, actionable report on Chart 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.

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