Why These 15 Industrial Stocks Are up the Most So Far in 2025

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11. Insteel Industries Inc (NYSE:IIIN)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q4 2024: 15

Insteel Industries Inc (NYSE:IIIN) is the largest U.S. manufacturer of steel wire reinforcing products for concrete construction applications.

The key catalyst for the stock’s strong performance in 2025 was its second quarter earnings release on April 17, 2025, which showed a significant beat on both earnings and revenue.

The company reported earnings per share of $0.52, far surpassing the $0.29 consensus, and revenue of $160.7 million, which exceeded forecasts by 7.2%. This earnings surprise led to a 10.7% jump in the stock price immediately following the announcement.

The quarter’s results were driven by a 28.9% year-over-year increase in shipments, improved gross margins to 15.3% from 12.3%, and effective cost management. Management cited recovering demand for concrete reinforcement products and lower unit manufacturing costs as key contributors. Despite $0.7 million in restructuring and acquisition-related costs, net earnings rose to $10.2 million from $6.9 million a year earlier.

IIIN stock is up 20.57% year-to-date.

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