Key Highlights

  • PACCAR net sales and revenues rose 19% to $7,936.5 million, and truck pretax profit rose to $454.5 million from $102.5 million.
  • Hubbell net sales rose 25% to $1,872.5 million, and 2026 adjusted EPS guidance moved to $20.40 to $20.60.
  • Crane reported record adjusted EPS of $2.05 and raised 2026 guidance to $7.23 to $7.38 from $6.85 to $7.05.
  • Illinois Tool Works said a tornado cut third-quarter revenue by about $40 million and raised full-year GAAP EPS guidance to $11.45 to $11.55.
  • Applied Industrial Technologies raised fiscal 2027 EPS guidance by $0.05 at both ends, to $11.70 to $12.20.

Which Industrial Machinery and Electrical Earnings Stood Out After the Tuesday, October 27 Reports?

Six industrial companies reported on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, with sales growth ranging from 28.1% to a core decline of 5.5%. PACCAR (NASDAQ:PCAR) reported net income of $847.5 million, or $1.61 per diluted share. Hubbell (NYSE:HUBB) posted adjusted EPS of $5.91 on sales up 25%, and Crane (NYSE:CR) reported record adjusted EPS of $2.05 on sales up 28.1%. Illinois Tool Works (NYSE:ITW) raised guidance for the third time this year despite a $40 million tornado hit, and Pentair (NYSE:PNR) reported adjusted EPS of $1.18 as its Pool segment sagged. Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT) lifted its fiscal 2027 EPS range by $0.05.

No share reactions are cited because none are stated for these names. Figures marked calculated are derived from each company's own numbers.

PACCAR: Did Truck Margins Just Quadruple, and What Is the Outlook for 2027?

PACCAR reported net sales and revenues up 19% to $7,936.5 million, with EPS of $1.61 on a GAAP basis against a $1.60 screened estimate. Truck pretax profit rose to $454.5 million from $102.5 million, a calculated pretax margin of 8.1% against 2.3%. Global truck deliveries were 40,100 units, up about 26% (calculated).

Parts revenue reached a record $1,780.0 million, though pretax profit eased to $404.4 million. Management expects U.S. and Canada Class 8 retail sales of 240,000 to 280,000 trucks in 2027. The quarterly dividend is $0.35 per share, against $0.33.

Hubbell: How Did Data Center Demand Lift Its 2026 Outlook?

Hubbell reported adjusted EPS of $5.91 against $5.17 and a $5.75 estimate as screened. Net sales rose 25% to $1,872.5 million, with organic growth of about 11% and acquisitions adding about 13%. Electrical Solutions sales rose 51% to $845 million, which the chief executive tied to strong data center demand.

Full-year adjusted EPS guidance is now $20.40 to $20.60 from $20.25 to $20.55, and total sales growth is guided at 18% to 19%. Net debt was $4,664.7 million, and net debt to total capital rose to 51% from 28% at the end of 2025. The implied fourth-quarter adjusted EPS is about $5.03 to $5.23, a calculated figure.

Crane: Did a Record $2.05 Adjusted EPS and a Higher Outlook Reveal Something Investors May Be Missing?

Crane reported adjusted EPS from continuing operations of $2.05 against $1.67 and a $1.82 estimate as screened, on net sales up 28.1% to $754.6 million. Core sales grew 7.7%, while acquisitions contributed 21.1 points. Adjusted operating profit rose 35.8% to $169.9 million.

The 2026 adjusted EPS range moved to $7.23 to $7.38, lifting the midpoint to $7.305 from $6.95. Backlog was $1,894.9 million, and Process Flow core orders grew 19.7%. The GAAP operating margin fell 150 basis points to 18.6%, and the UK building services sale for 230 million pounds is expected to close early in 2027.

Illinois Tool Works: Is the Beat Hiding a $40 Million Tornado Hit and a Weak Auto Segment?

ITW reported GAAP diluted EPS of $3.00 against $2.81 and a $2.97 estimate as screened. Revenue rose 4.4% to $4,236 million, just under analyst estimates of about $4.26 billion, with organic growth of 3.8%. A tornado damaged two Welding facilities in Appleton, Wisconsin, and cut revenue by about $40 million.

Operating margin widened 40 basis points to 27.8%, and Electronics grew about 31% on semiconductor capacity and AI-related investment. Automotive OEM fell 2.1% organically. Full-year GAAP EPS guidance is $11.45 to $11.55, and the dividend was raised 7% to an annualised $6.88.

Pentair: Is the Pool Reset Over After an 18% Sales Drop and a $4.70 Outlook?

Pentair reported adjusted EPS of $1.18 against $1.24 and a $1.07 estimate as screened. Net sales were $976.4 million, with core sales down 5.5%. Pool sales fell 17.7% to $291.5 million, and management said results reflected completion of the inventory realignment with its major channel partners.

The company reaffirmed the midpoint of 2026 adjusted EPS guidance near $4.70 and expects fourth-quarter sales up about 7% to 9%, with adjusted EPS near $1.15. The Taco acquisition closed on October 1. Pentair repurchased $350.0 million of shares in nine months, double the prior year.

Applied Industrial Technologies: Why Did Guidance Rise Only $0.05 After a 7.1% Organic Beat?

Applied Industrial reported GAAP diluted EPS of $2.97 against $2.63 and a $2.89 estimate as screened, with net sales up 7.6% to $1,291.2 million and organic growth of 7.1%. The EPS range moved to $11.70 to $12.20 from $11.65 to $12.15, which the release attributes to a slightly lower diluted share count after buybacks.

Engineered Solutions sales rose 14.1% to $475.8 million, while free cash flow fell to $73.4 million from $112.0 million on a $45.5 million working capital outflow. Treasury purchases were $80.0 million, and the dividend is $0.51 per share.

Industrial Machinery and Electrical Earnings Compared: Who Grew Fastest and Who Raised the Most?

Crane's 28.1% sales growth is 23.7 percentage points above Illinois Tool Works' 4.4% (calculated), with Hubbell at 25%, PACCAR at 19% and Applied Industrial at 7.6%. On organic or core growth, Hubbell was about 11%, Crane 7.7%, Applied Industrial 7.1% and Illinois Tool Works 3.8%, while Pentair was down 5.5%. Margins on a comparable operating basis were 27.8% at Illinois Tool Works, 25.5% at Hubbell on an adjusted basis, 24.8% at Pentair on adjusted return on sales and about 22.5% at Crane (calculated).

Against screened estimates, Crane's $2.05 was about 12.6% higher and Pentair's $1.18 about 10.3% higher, Applied Industrial's about 2.8% and Illinois Tool Works' about 1.0% (all calculated), with Hubbell at 2.73% and PACCAR at 0.69% as screened. Guidance midpoints rose about 5.1% at Crane, 0.5% at Hubbell and 0.4% each at Illinois Tool Works and Applied Industrial (calculated), while Pentair reaffirmed its midpoint.

What to Watch Next: Wednesday's Calls, Pentair's Pool Demand and Crane's Deal Closings

Pentair and Crane hold calls on Wednesday, October 28, with Pentair investors watching Pool order trends and Taco integration. Crane's pending Trillium purchase is expected to close in the fourth quarter. Dividends are due on November 6 at Pentair ($0.27), November 30 at Applied Industrial ($0.51) and December 9 at Crane ($0.255). Hubbell's fourth quarter will test the implied $5.03 to $5.23 adjusted EPS range, and PACCAR's next marker is whether Parts margin stabilises.