Core Insights - Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE:DCI) is recognized as one of the 14 Best Mid Cap Dividend Aristocrat Stocks to buy now [1] - Jefferies upgraded Donaldson to Buy from Hold, raising the price target to $120 from $92, citing early signs of improvement in mining and non-residential construction markets [2] - The company reported record sales of $935 million for fiscal Q1 2026, with an operating margin of 15.5% and EPS of $0.94, reflecting a 13% increase from the previous year [3] Financial Performance - Donaldson's fiscal Q1 2026 results showed broad-based momentum, with growth in Mobile Aftermarket, Power Generation, Food and Beverage, and Disk Drive sectors [3] - The company raised its full-year operating margin outlook by 10 basis points to a range of 16.2%–16.8%, with a midpoint of 16.5% [5] - EPS guidance for fiscal 2026 was increased by $0.03, now forecasting between $3.95 and $4.11, with a midpoint of $4.03 [5] Market Position and Growth Drivers - CEO Tod Carpenter highlighted expanding partnerships, including work with NAPA, and noted that the independent channel experienced nearly double-digit sales growth [4] - Strength in the Off-Road segment was attributed to construction activity, which helped mitigate weaker conditions in agriculture [4] - Strong demand in Power Generation was noted, driven by spending in data centers and AI-related infrastructure [4]