Corbin Advisors Releases Q1’26 Inside The Buy-Side^® Industrial Sentiment Survey^®

FARMINGTON, CT – April 16, 2026 – Corbin Advisors, a strategic investor relations and investor communications advisory firm with a track record of supporting publicly traded clients in creating sustained shareholder value, today released its Q1’26 Inside The Buy-Side® Industrial Sentiment Survey®. The Survey was conducted between March 11 and April 10, 2026, and is based on responses from 23 institutional investors and sell side analysts globally, representing approximately $408 billion in equity assets under management, with approximately $62 billion invested in Industrials.

Following last quarter’s Survey, which highlighted an optimistic, albeit cautious, investor balancing the long-term opportunity of secular investment with tariff and other policy impacts, this quarter’s findings reflect the impact of the Iran War on sentiment. Despite increased concerns over rising costs and heightened inflation, positive outlooks outweigh negative views more than 2:1.

Indeed, survey results show that 67% of investors describe executive tone as Neutral to Bullish or Bullish, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of sequential improvement. While those describing management as Neutral to Bearish tick up nearly 10 points, similar to what was captured post the Tariff Announcement in Q1’25, no one describes top brass as outright Bearish. “Our research finds Industrial investor sentiment remains generally resilient despite a more complex and uncertain macro backdrop, with confidence in key secular growth drivers continuing to underpin a generally constructive outlook for the sector,” said Rebecca Corbin, Founder and CEO of Corbin Advisors.

“While Iran-War-induced concerns about input costs and broader heightened inflation are prevalent, resulting in a doubling down on margin protection after two quarters of growth prioritization, investors are not broadly turning negative. Rather, we are seeing a more nuanced environment emerge, one in which expectations for solid top-line performance and stable full-year guidance coexist with rising caution about cost pressures and capital deployment. For management teams, the implication is clear — effective leaders will be those who strike a deliberate balance between managing bottom-line pressures today while reinforcing the credibility of their longer-term growth strategies. Investors are signaling a willingness to support continued investment in high-conviction areas like AI, energy infrastructure, and aerospace & defense, but only alongside clear evidence of cost discipline, pricing execution, and operational agility.”

For the Q1’26 earnings cycle, all key performance indicators, Revenue, EPS, Margins, and Free Cash Flow, are expected to show expansion. Notably, a majority, 69%, expect Revenue to Improve, up from 45% last quarter and more than doubling from the 29% reported in our Q3’25 Survey. Most investors expect companies to reaffirm 2026 guidance, and, looking ahead, 60% continue to believe that Industrial Organic Growth in 2026 will exceed that of 2025.

While tariffs remain a concern, they have been supplanted by fears over the first- and second-order effects of the ongoing Iran War. Tangentially, Growth, Demand, Costs, and Inflation are all expected to be leading topics of interest on upcoming earnings calls.

Within the Industrial Sector strata, Defense extends its streak as the most-favored industry, followed by Commercial Aerospace and Water. In contrast, more commodity-sensitive sectors, including Automotive, Paper & Packaging, and Agriculture, see the largest share of bears.