What Happened?

A number of stocks jumped in the afternoon session after the second quarter (2025) earnings season got off to a strong start. Quarterly earnings reports released during the week exceeded Wall Street's expectations, fueling investor confidence. Around 50 S&P 500 components reported, with 88% of those exceeding analysts' expectations, FactSet data revealed. Investors were also encouraged by several positive reports that painted a picture of a resilient consumer. One key report revealed that shoppers increased their spending at U.S. retailers more than economists had anticipated. Precisely, retail sales increased 0.6% from May, surpassing the 0.2% estimate. This robust consumer spending is a crucial pillar supporting the economy. 

Adding to the positive sentiment, the latest data on unemployment claims showed a decrease in the number of workers applying for benefits, signaling that layoffs remain limited and the job market is steady. This combination of strong earnings reports, retail sales, and a solid labor market suggests the economy is navigating challenges successfully.

The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks.

Among others, the following stocks were impacted:

• Professional Tools and Equipment company ESAB (NYSE: ESAB) jumped 3.2%. Is now the time to buy ESAB? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
• General Industrial Machinery company John Bean (NYSE: JBTM) jumped 3.2%. Is now the time to buy John Bean? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.

Zooming In On John Bean (JBTM)

John Bean’s shares are somewhat volatile and have had 10 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The biggest move we wrote about over the last year was 9 months ago when the stock gained 15.5% on the news that the company reported third-quarter earnings results that exceeded analysts' revenue and EPS estimates. The top line benefited from improved demand from global poultry customers. Backlog (orders placed but not processed) was also strong, exceeding Wall Street's expectations. Overall, this was a strong quarter.

John Bean is up 7.4% since the beginning of the year, and at $134.63 per share, it is trading close to its 52-week high of $135.25 from February 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of John Bean’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,549.

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