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Key Takeaways IEX's HST organic sales rose 12%, while orders jumped 47%, extending backlog visibility into 2027.IDEX raised its 2026 organic sales growth outlook to 5-6% on stronger HST orders and industrial demand.Acquisitions added 1% to second-quarter sales, while dividends returned value to shareholders. IDEX Corporation (IEX - Free Report) is benefiting from sustained demand in data center power, semiconductor, space and defense markets. Accretive acquisitions and shareholder-friendly policies also bode well.

IEX currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Let’s delve into the factors that have been aiding the firm for a while now.

Business Strength: IDEX is benefiting from demand across data center, semiconductor, space and defense markets within the Health & Science Technologies (HST) segment, while municipal water and mining continue to support the Fluid & Metering Technologies (FMT) segment. In second-quarter 2026, HST organic sales rose 12% and organic orders increased 47%, extending backlog visibility into 2027. FMT organic sales increased 1% and orders rose 11%, with water and mining gains partly offset by energy, agriculture and chemical softness. The company raised its 2026 organic sales growth outlook to 5-6% from 3-4%, supported by a larger HST order book and improving demand in its industrial businesses. This mix of secular and industrial demand is expected to support IDEX’s growth beyond the latest quarter.

Accretive Acquisition: IDEX continues to undertake acquisitions to expand its technology portfolio and reach higher-value markets. In second-quarter 2026, acquisitions added 1% to consolidated sales growth and 2% to HST sales growth, reflecting Micro-LAM, acquired in July 2025. Consolidated organic sales also rose 5% in second-quarter 2026, alongside the 1% acquisition/divestiture contribution. Micro-LAM expands IDEX’s optics technology offerings within HST. The September 2024 acquisition of Mott for $1 billion added applied materials science capabilities and broadened the company’s exposure to semiconductor fabrication, medical technologies and water purification.

In the past year, the company’s shares have gained 36.2% against the industry‘s 0.7% decline.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Rewards to Shareholders: IEX is committed to returning value to shareholders through dividend payments and share repurchases. In second-quarter 2026, the company paid about $54 million in dividends and repurchased $77 million of shares. For the first six months of 2026, dividend payments totaled $106.7 million compared with $105.9 million a year earlier, while cash paid for share repurchases increased to $153.4 million from $100 million.

Estimate Revisions: The Zacks Consensus Estimate for IEX’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $8.82 per share, indicating an increase of 3.9% from the 60-day-ago figure. The consensus estimate for 2027 earnings is pegged at $9.68 per share, indicating a rise of 24.6% in the same period.

Other Stocks to ConsiderSome other top-ranked companies from the same space are discussed below:

Generac Holdings Inc. (GNRC - Free Report) presently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The company delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 13.7%. In the past 60 days, the consensus estimate for GNRC’s 2026 earnings has increased 8.5%.

Applied Industrial Technologies (AIT - Free Report) presently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). It has a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 4.3%.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AIT’s fiscal 2027 earnings has increased 1.7% in the past 60 days.

Helios Technologies (HLIO - Free Report) currently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. HLIO delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 13.1%.

In the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Helios Technologies’ 2026 earnings has increased 10.4%.

Bard Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of IDEX Corporation (NYSE:IEX – Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 6,593 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,496,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of IDEX in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Optiver Holding B.V. bought a new stake in shares of IDEX in the first quarter worth about $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its holdings in IDEX by 104.1% during the 1st quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 149 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the period. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new stake in shares of IDEX in the 2nd quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC increased its stake in IDEX by 57.6% in the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 208 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. 97.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting IDEX Here are the key news stories impacting IDEX this week:

Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised several forward earnings forecasts. Zacks Research lifted its FY2026 EPS estimate to $8.70 from $8.46, Q3 2026 to $2.20 from $2.17, Q1 2027 to $2.11 from $2.09, FY2027 to $9.21 from $9.20, and FY2028 to $10.45 from $10.27. The upgrades suggest expectations for improving earnings momentum beyond the current year. IDEX analyst estimates Positive Sentiment: Longer-term earnings growth remains a key support. The FY2028 forecast implies continued expansion from the approximately $8.70 expected for FY2026, while the company’s latest reported quarter exceeded consensus estimates for both revenue and EPS. IDEX financial information Neutral Sentiment: Board changes may increase investor focus on governance and valuation. IDEX announced a board resignation and a governance adjustment. The development does not provide a clear operating-impact signal, but investors may scrutinize leadership, capital allocation, and whether the company’s premium valuation is justified. IDEX board resignation and governance adjustment Negative Sentiment: Some estimates were reduced. Zacks cut its Q2 2027 EPS forecast to $2.33 from $2.43 and its Q2 2028 forecast to $2.43 from $2.54. These isolated reductions temper the broader upgrade story and could limit upside if investors view them as signs of uneven demand or execution. IDEX revised earnings estimates Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. TD Cowen lifted their target price on IDEX from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on IDEX from $261.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 price target on shares of IDEX in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Argus upped their price objective on shares of IDEX from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $257.00 target price on shares of IDEX in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $260.80. View Our Latest Stock Report on IDEX

IDEX Trading Up 0.4% Shares of IDEX stock opened at $234.57 on Friday. IDEX Corporation has a 12-month low of $158.19 and a 12-month high of $243.80. The company has a market capitalization of $17.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 0.98. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $227.88 and a 200 day simple moving average of $212.87. The company has a current ratio of 3.05, a quick ratio of 2.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

IDEX (NYSE:IEX – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The industrial products company reported $2.32 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.11 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $920.60 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $905.38 million. IDEX had a return on equity of 15.69% and a net margin of 14.49%.IDEX’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.07 earnings per share. IDEX has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.700-8.850 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.200-2.250 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that IDEX Corporation will post 8.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

IDEX Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 24th. Investors of record on Monday, July 6th were given a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 6th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. IDEX’s payout ratio is 42.01%.

Insider Buying and Selling In other IDEX news, CAO Lisa M. Anderson sold 385 shares of IDEX stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $238.59, for a total transaction of $91,857.15. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 4,327 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,032,378.93. The trade was a 8.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

IDEX Profile (Free Report)

IDEX Corporation is a diversified industrial manufacturer specializing in the design, production and distribution of highly engineered fluidics systems, measurement technologies and safety solutions. The company’s core offerings include positive-displacement pumps, flow meters, valves, sampling systems and analytical instruments that serve a wide range of end markets such as water treatment, chemical processing, energy, food and beverage, and life sciences. Through its focus on precision engineering and proprietary material science, IDEX delivers products designed for reliability in demanding applications.

Operations at IDEX are organized into three principal segments.

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Posted by Defense World Staff on Jul 31st, 2026

Amundi trimmed its holdings in IDEX Corporation (NYSE:IEX – Free Report) by 18.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,219,400 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 268,259 shares during the quarter. Amundi owned about 1.65% of IDEX worth $231,229,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of IEX. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of IDEX during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its position in shares of IDEX by 104.1% in the 1st quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 149 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC boosted its position in shares of IDEX by 41.1% in the 4th quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 199 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC purchased a new stake in shares of IDEX in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC increased its position in IDEX by 57.6% during the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 208 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. 97.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting IDEX Here are the key news stories impacting IDEX this week:

Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings and revenue beat estimates. IDEX reported adjusted EPS of $2.32, versus the $2.11 consensus, while revenue reached $920.6 million, ahead of estimates near $905.4 million and up 6.4% year over year. IDEX quarterly earnings report Positive Sentiment: Demand trends improved significantly. Record orders rose approximately 29% reported and 28% organically to about $1.07 billion. Strength in data centers, semiconductors, space and defense—particularly within Health & Science Technologies—supports better visibility into future sales. Positive Sentiment: Management raised its full-year outlook. IDEX now expects 2026 organic sales growth of 5% to 6% and adjusted diluted EPS of $8.70 to $8.85, above its prior $8.35-$8.55 range and the approximately $8.49 analyst consensus. Third-quarter EPS guidance of $2.20-$2.25 also exceeds consensus near $2.19. IDEX raises annual profit outlook Positive Sentiment: Analysts increased their price targets. TD Cowen raised its target from $260 to $275 and assigned a “buy” rating, while Royal Bank of Canada lifted its target from $261 to $280 and maintained an “outperform” rating. The new targets imply roughly 18% to 20% potential upside from the referenced trading level. Analyst price-target updates from Benzinga Neutral Sentiment: Valuation remains elevated. IDEX trades at approximately 34.6 times earnings, meaning continued upside may depend on the company converting strong orders and end-market demand into sustained earnings growth. Analyst Ratings Changes IEX has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Seaport Research Partners reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $250.00 price objective on shares of IDEX in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Weiss Ratings upgraded IDEX from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on IDEX from $257.00 to $268.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. TD Cowen increased their price objective on shares of IDEX from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on shares of IDEX from $261.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $251.44.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on IEX

Insider Activity at IDEX In related news, CEO Eric D. Ashleman sold 15,385 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $215.22, for a total transaction of $3,311,159.70. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 66,658 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,346,134.76. This represents a 18.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

IDEX Stock Up 1.9% IEX opened at $233.79 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $17.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.64, a PEG ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 0.98. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $220.83 and a 200-day moving average price of $208.39. IDEX Corporation has a twelve month low of $157.25 and a twelve month high of $243.80. The company has a quick ratio of 2.40, a current ratio of 3.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

IDEX (NYSE:IEX – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The industrial products company reported $2.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.11 by $0.21. IDEX had a net margin of 14.49% and a return on equity of 15.69%. The company had revenue of $920.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $905.38 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.07 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. IDEX has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.700-8.850 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.200-2.250 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that IDEX Corporation will post 8.78 earnings per share for the current year.

IDEX Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 24th. Investors of record on Monday, July 6th were issued a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 6th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. IDEX’s payout ratio is presently 43.20%.

IDEX Profile (Free Report)

IDEX Corporation is a diversified industrial manufacturer specializing in the design, production and distribution of highly engineered fluidics systems, measurement technologies and safety solutions. The company’s core offerings include positive-displacement pumps, flow meters, valves, sampling systems and analytical instruments that serve a wide range of end markets such as water treatment, chemical processing, energy, food and beverage, and life sciences. Through its focus on precision engineering and proprietary material science, IDEX delivers products designed for reliability in demanding applications.

Operations at IDEX are organized into three principal segments.

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Key Takeaways IDEX is expected to report Q2 revenues of $902.4 million and adjusted EPS of $2.10 on July 29.IEX may benefit from pharma, semiconductor and data center demand, plus contributions from acquisitions.IDEX faces pressure from higher operating costs and weaker Fire & Safety/Diversified Products performance. IDEX Corporation (IEX - Free Report) is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 results on July 29, before market open.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter earnings has decreased a penny in the past 60 days. The company has an impressive earnings surprise history, having outperformed the consensus estimate in each of the preceding four quarters, the average surprise being 6%.

The consensus estimate for revenues is pegged at $902.4 million, indicating an increase of 4.3% from the prior-year quarter’s figure. The consensus estimate for adjusted earnings is pinned at $2.10 per share, indicating an increase of 1.5% from the year-ago quarter’s number.

Let's see how things have shaped up for IDEX this earnings season.

Factors to Note Ahead of IDEX’s ResultsThe Health & Science Technologies (HST) segment is expected to have benefited from an increase in volumes, driven by strength in the pharma market and AI-led growth in data center power and semiconductor markets. Also, strength in the space and defense markets is expected to have aided the segment’s performance in the second quarter. The consensus estimate for the HST segment’s revenues is pegged at $407 million, indicating an increase of 11.5% year over year.

An increase in demand for products across the municipal water end market is expected to have aided the Fluid & Metering Technologies (FMT) segment. Higher demand for mining application solutions business is likely to have been a tailwind as well. The consensus estimate for the FMT segment’s revenues is pegged at $314 million, indicating growth of 0.9% year over year.

IDEX has remained focused on expanding its product offerings and market presence through buyouts, which is expected to have boosted its top line. In July 2025, the company acquired Micro-LAM, Inc. (Micro-LAM), which expanded IDEX’s optics technologies offerings. Also, the acquisition of Mott Corp. and its subsidiaries (Mott) in September 2024 expanded the company’s expertise in applied materials science technology capabilities across high-value end markets.

However, the Fire & Safety/Diversified Products (FSDP) segment is expected to have put up a weak show due to softness in the dispensing business arising from the unfavorable timing of dispensing projects in emerging markets. The consensus estimate for the segment’s revenues is pegged at $189 million, decreasing 1.6% from the year-ago quarter figure.

The escalating costs and operating expenses, due to increasing employee-related costs and professional services spending, are likely to have weighed on IEX’s bottom line in the to-be-reported quarter.

Earnings WhisperOur proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for IEX this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not the case here, as elaborated below.

Earnings ESP: IEX has an Earnings ESP of -0.67% as the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $2.10 per share, higher than the Most Accurate Estimate of $2.09. You can uncover the best stocks before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Zacks Rank: IEX presently carries a Zacks Rank of 3.

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Stocks to ConsiderHere are some companies, which according to our model, have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings in this reporting cycle.

Crane Company (CR - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +4.73% and a Zacks Rank of 2 at present. The company is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 results on July 28.

Crane’s earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the preceding four quarters, the average surprise being 11.3%.

Ferguson Enterprises Inc. (FERG - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +1.22% and a Zacks Rank of 2 at present. The company is slated to release second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 10.

Ferguson’s earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 6.5%.

Ingersoll Rand Inc. (IR - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +0.61% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present. The company is slated to release second-quarter 2026 results on July 30.

Ingersoll Rand’s earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the trailing four quarters and matched the mark in two, the average surprise being 2.4%.