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 Richardson Electronics (NASDAQ: RELL) and the best and worst performers in the specialty equipment distributors industry.

Historically, specialty equipment distributors have boasted deep selection and expertise in sometimes narrow areas like single-use packaging or unique lighting equipment. Additionally, the industry has evolved to include more automated industrial equipment and machinery over the last decade, driving efficiencies and enabling valuable data collection. Specialty equipment distributors whose offerings keep up with these trends can take share in a still-fragmented market, but like the broader industrials sector, this space is at the whim of economic cycles that impact the capital spending and manufacturing propelling industry volumes.

The 8 specialty equipment distributors stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.8% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 1.8% on average since the latest earnings results.

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. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 4.4%. Overall, it was an incredible quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates.

“I am pleased to report that Richardson Electronics has now delivered seven consecutive quarters of year-over-year sales growth, reflecting continued progress in executing our multi-year strategy. Our performance this quarter was led by strong momentum in PMT, particularly in EDG and the semifab equipment market. Third quarter sales growth was supported by continued discipline around gross margin and operating expenses. Our performance reflects the strength of our team, as we continue to invest across the organization to build depth, technical expertise, and operating performance,” said Edward J. Richardson, Chairman, CEO, and President.

Interestingly, the stock is up 54.1% since reporting and currently trades at $18.12.

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

Custom Truck One Source (NYSE: CTOS)

Inspired by a family gas station, Custom Truck One Source (NYSE: CTOS) is a distributor of trucks and heavy equipment.

Custom Truck One Source reported revenues of $461.6 million, up 9.3% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 1.1%. The business had an exceptional quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates.

Custom Truck One Source achieved the highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 11.4% since reporting. It currently trades at $9.78.

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

Weakest Q1: SiteOne (NYSE: SITE)

Known for distributing John Deere tractors and LESCO turf care products, SiteOne Landscape Supply (NYSE: SITE) provides landscaping products and services to professionals, including irrigation, lighting, and nursery supplies.

SiteOne reported revenues of $940.1 million, flat year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 4.2%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ revenue and adjusted operating income estimates.

SiteOne delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 27.7% since the results and currently trades at $103.38.

Read our full analysis of SiteOne’s results here.

Hudson Technologies (NASDAQ: HDSN)

Founded in 1991, Hudson Technologies (NASDAQ: HDSN) specializes in refrigerant services and solutions, providing refrigerant sales, reclamation, and recycling.

Hudson Technologies reported revenues of $60.15 million, up 8.7% year on year. This number beat analysts’ expectations by 5.2%. Aside from that, it was a slower quarter as it produced a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

The stock is down 18.9% since reporting and currently trades at $5.31.

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

Karat Packaging (NASDAQ: KRT)

Founded as Lollicup, Karat Packaging (NASDAQ: KRT) distributes and manufactures environmentally-friendly disposable foodservice packaging solutions.

Karat Packaging reported revenues of $116.9 million, up 12.9% year on year. This result topped analysts’ expectations by 3.5%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter as it also recorded a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

The stock is down 9.8% since reporting and currently trades at $27.44.

Read our full, actionable report on Karat Packaging 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.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 5 Quality Compounder Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.