As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q1. Today, we are looking at electrical systems stocks, starting with Acuity Brands (NYSE: AYI).

Like many equipment and component manufacturers, electrical systems companies are buoyed by secular trends such as connectivity and industrial automation. More specific pockets of strong demand include Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity and the 5G telecom upgrade cycle, which can benefit companies whose cables and conduits fit those needs. But like the broader industrials sector, these companies are also at the whim of economic cycles. Interest rates, for example, can greatly impact projects that drive demand for these products.

The 13 electrical systems stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.9% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 1.3% below.

Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 5.5% on average since the latest earnings results.

Acuity Brands (NYSE: AYI)

One of the pioneers of smart lights, Acuity (NYSE: AYI) designs and manufactures light fixtures and building management systems used in various industries.

Acuity Brands reported revenues of $1.06 billion, up 4.9% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 2.5%. Overall, it was a slower quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

"We demonstrated strong execution in our second quarter of fiscal 2026," stated Neil Ashe, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Acuity Inc.

Interestingly, the stock is up 2.9% since reporting and currently trades at $295.39.

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

Best Q1: LSI (NASDAQ: LYTS)

Enhancing commercial environments, LSI (NASDAQ: LYTS) provides lighting and display solutions for businesses and retailers.

LSI reported revenues of $150.5 million, up 13.6% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 9%. The business had an incredible quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 17.9% since reporting. It currently trades at $24.41.

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

Weakest Q1: Whirlpool (NYSE: WHR)

Credited with introducing the first automatic washing machine, Whirlpool (NYSE: WHR) is a manufacturer of a variety of home appliances.

Whirlpool reported revenues of $3.27 billion, down 9.6% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 4.4%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted full-year EPS guidance missing analysts’ expectations and a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Whirlpool delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth in the group. As expected, the stock is down 12.8% since the results and currently trades at $47.73.

Read our full analysis of Whirlpool’s results here.

Garrett Motion (NASDAQ: GTX)

A key player in the transition to cleaner vehicles, Garrett Motion (NYSE: GTX) designs and manufactures turbochargers, air compressors, and electric motor technologies for vehicle manufacturers and industrial applications.

Garrett Motion reported revenues of $985 million, up 12.2% year on year. This result topped analysts’ expectations by 9.3%. It was an exceptional quarter as it also produced a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA and revenue estimates.

Garrett Motion had the weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The stock is up 31.9% since reporting and currently trades at $27.03.

Read our full, actionable report on Garrett Motion here, it’s free.

GE Vernova (NYSE: GEV)

Born from the energy business of industrial giant General Electric in a 2023 spin-off, GE Vernova (NYSE: GEV) designs, manufactures, and services power generation equipment and grid technologies to help customers build more reliable and sustainable electric systems.

GE Vernova reported revenues of $9.34 billion, up 16.3% year on year. This print beat analysts’ expectations by 0.8%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter as it also put up an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

The stock is up 5.9% since reporting and currently trades at $1,050.

Read our full, actionable report on GE Vernova 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 9 Best Market-Beating Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.