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 Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) 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 8 maintenance and repair distributors stocks we track reported a slower Q3. 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.

Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST)

Founded in 1967, Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) provides industrial and construction supplies, including fasteners, tools, safety products, and many other product categories to businesses globally.

Fastenal reported revenues of $1.91 billion, up 3.5% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, but overall, it was a mixed quarter for the company with a narrow beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but a slight miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 18.3% since reporting and currently trades at $82.81.

Read our full report on Fastenal 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.

DXP scored the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 46.1% since reporting. It currently trades at $74.38.

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

Weakest Q3: 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 $342.4 million, down 3.4% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 3.1%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA and EPS estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 15% since the results and currently trades at $28.11.

Read our full analysis of Global Industrial’s results here.

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 $67.83 million, up 8% year on year. This result missed analysts’ expectations by 3.5%. It was a disappointing quarter as it also logged a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA and EPS estimates.

Transcat had the weakest performance against analyst estimates among its peers. The stock is down 13.2% since reporting and currently trades at $103.44.

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

MSC Industrial (NYSE:MSM)

Founded in NYC’s Little Italy, MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM) provides industrial supplies and equipment, offering vast and reliable selection for customers such as contractors

MSC Industrial reported revenues of $952.3 million, down 8% year on year. This result missed analysts’ expectations by 0.8%. Overall, it was a slower quarter as it also logged a miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

MSC Industrial had the slowest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is up 4.9% since reporting and currently trades at $84.76.

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

Market Update

The Fed’s interest rate hikes throughout 2022 and 2023 have successfully cooled post-pandemic inflation, bringing it closer to the 2% target. Inflationary pressures have eased without tipping the economy into a recession, suggesting a soft landing. This stability, paired with recent rate cuts (0.5% in September 2024 and 0.25% in November 2024), has fueled a strong year for the stock market in 2024. The markets surged further after Donald Trump’s presidential victory in November, with major indices reaching record highs in the days following the election. Still, questions remain about the direction of economic policy, as potential tariffs and corporate tax changes add uncertainty heading into 2025.

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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