As the Q1 earnings season wraps, let’s dig into this quarter’s best and worst performers in the industrial distributors industry, including FTAI Aviation (NASDAQ: FTAI) and its peers.

Supply chain and inventory management are themes that grew in focus after COVID wreaked havoc on the global movement of raw materials and components. Distributors that boast a reliable selection of products–everything from hardhats and fasteners for jet engines to ceiling systems–and quickly deliver goods 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 better interact with customers. Additionally, distributors are at the whim of economic cycles that impact the capital spending and construction projects that can juice demand.

The 24 industrial distributors stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.1% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 5.3% on average since the latest earnings results.

FTAI Aviation (NASDAQ: FTAI)

With a focus on the CFM56 engine that powers Boeing and Airbus’s planes, FTAI Aviation (NASDAQ: FTAI) sells, leases, maintains, and repairs aircraft engines.

FTAI Aviation reported revenues of $830.7 million, up 65.5% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 12.1%. Despite the top-line beat, it was still a slower quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income and EPS estimates.

“FTAI delivered another quarter of strong execution across all three of our platforms, led by continued momentum in our core Aerospace Products offering and an expanding, increasingly diverse customer base,” said Joe Adams, Chairman and CEO.

Interestingly, the stock is up 21.9% since reporting and currently trades at $259.76.

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

Best Q1: Richardson Electronics (NASDAQ: RELL)

Founded in 1947, Richardson Electronics (NASDAQ: RELL) is a distributor of power grid and microwave tubes as well as consumables related to those products.

Richardson Electronics reported revenues of $55.47 million, up 3.1% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 4.4%. The business had an incredible quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 54.8% since reporting. It currently trades at $18.21.

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

Weakest Q1: 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 $521.7 million, up 9.5% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.9%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income and revenue estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 7.2% since the results and currently trades at $168.42.

Read our full analysis of DXP’s results here.

Core & Main (NYSE: CNM)

Formerly a division of industrial distributor HD Supply, Core & Main (NYSE: CNM) is a provider of water, wastewater, and fire protection products and services.

Core & Main reported revenues of $1.91 billion, flat year on year. This print beat analysts’ expectations by 0.8%. Taking a step back, it was a mixed quarter as it also produced a decent beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates but full-year EBITDA guidance meeting analysts’ expectations.

The stock is down 9.6% since reporting and currently trades at $47.61.

Read our full, actionable report on Core & Main 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 $917.8 million, up 2.9% year on year. This result came in 1.6% below analysts’ expectations. Overall, it was a softer quarter as it also recorded a miss of analysts’ revenue and adjusted operating income estimates.

The stock is up 23.9% since reporting and currently trades at $114.29.

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

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand-wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

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