Mid-cap stocks have the best odds of scaling into $100 billion corporations thanks to their tested business models and large addressable markets.
But the many opportunities in front of them attract significant competition, spanning from industry behemoths with seemingly infinite resources to small, nimble players with chips on their shoulders.
Whether you see them or not, industrials businesses play a crucial part in our daily activities. Still, their generally high capital requirements expose them to the ups and downs of economic cycles,
and the industry’s six-month return of 9.8% has fallen short of the S&P 500’s 13% rise.
Advanced Drainage’s third quarter was marked by margin expansion and robust execution, which led to outperformance relative to market expectations. Management pointed to strong growth in higher-margin Allied Products and Infiltrator segments, along with operational improvements and disciplined cost controls. CEO Scott Barbour highlighted the company’s ability to generate above-market growth despite a “challenging market environment,” citing successful material conversion strategies and the launch of new products as key contributors. Continued demand in nonresidential markets and resilient pricing also played a significant role in supporting results.
The stocks featured in this article have all approached their 52-week highs.
When these price levels hit, it typically signals strong business execution, positive market sentiment, or significant industry tailwinds.
Water management company Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) reported Q3 CY2025 results beating Wall Street’s revenue expectations, with sales up 8.7% year on year to $850.4 million. The company expects the full year’s revenue to be around $2.95 billion, close to analysts’ estimates. Its non-GAAP profit of $1.97 per share was 19.8% above analysts’ consensus estimates.
Water management company Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) reported Q3 CY2025 results exceeding the market’s revenue expectations, with sales up 8.7% year on year to $850.4 million. The company expects the full year’s revenue to be around $2.95 billion, close to analysts’ estimates. Its non-GAAP profit of $1.97 per share was 19.8% above analysts’ consensus estimates.
Advanced Drainage has had an impressive run over the past six months as its shares have beaten the S&P 500 by 13.4%. The stock now trades at $142.55, marking a 38.2% gain. This was partly due to its solid quarterly results, and the performance may have investors wondering how to approach the situation.
Mid-cap stocks often strike the right balance between having proven business models and market opportunities that can support $100 billion corporations.
However, they face intense competition from scaled industry giants and can be disrupted by new innovative players vying for a slice of the pie.
Shares of water management company Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS)
jumped 2.4% in the morning session after it agreed to acquire National Diversified Sales (NDS), the water management business of Norma Group SE, for approximately $1 billion in cash.
Shares of water management company Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS)
fell 10% in the morning session after Darin Harvey, Executive Vice President of Supply Chain, left to join Mueller Water Products.
When Wall Street turns bearish on a stock, it’s worth paying attention.
These calls stand out because analysts rarely issue grim ratings on companies for fear their firms will lose out in other business lines such as M&A advisory.
