Wall Street Week Ahead: Industrial sector’s gains to be tested as earnings ramp up

NEW YORK: The industrial sector has led the way for US equities during a topsy-turvy year on Wall Street, but its strength will be tested as earnings season heats up.

S&P 500 industrials, which include aerospace companies, electrical equipment and machinery makers, transportation firms and building products companies, have gained 15% so far in 2025. That’s the best year-to-date performance of the S&P 500’s 11 sectors and more than double the gain of the overall index.

Momentum for the industrials sector and the broader market will be in focus with a heavy upcoming week of second-quarter earnings, which includes reports from more than one-fifth of the S&P 500, led by Alphabet and Tesla, the first of the “Magnificent Seven” megacap tech and growth companies to report.

The S&P 500 has surged 26% since April, as investors shook off fears about a recession which had stemmed from President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff announcement.

This earnings season “seems to be especially important because of the rebound that the market has had,” said Chuck Carlson, chief executive officer at Horizon Investment Services. “I would think that that has built in a fair amount of optimism in terms of earnings.”

A number of industrials will be in the earnings spotlight as well.

Aerospace and defense stocks have boosted the sector’s performance this year, driven by heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and Ukraine and fresh spending commitments by Germany and other nations.

The S&P 500 aerospace and defense industry group has surged 30% this year. Defense companies to report in the coming week include RTX, Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics.

GE Aerospace, whose shares have soared about 55% this year, raised its 2025 profit forecast on Thursday.

Another industrial company spun off from legacy General Electric last year, GE Vernova, has seen its shares skyrocket over 70% this year, making it the best-performing industrial sector stock. The power equipment maker’s results are due Wednesday.

The push for reshoring infrastructure and expansion of artificial intelligence, which has lifted demand for cooling systems and factory automation, are two themes that have supported a number of stocks in the industry, including Eaton and Rockwell Automation, said Robert Pavlik, senior portfolio manager at Dakota Wealth Management.

Another stock that has supported the industrial sector this year: Ride-hailing giant Uber, whose shares are up roughly 50%.

“Unlike many non-Tech groups, there are a lot of solid stories here that don’t rely on macro forces to deliver solid forward returns,” Nicholas Colas, co-founder of DataTrek Research, said in a note on Wednesday. Large cap industrials still look attractive despite the group’s recent run, Colas said.