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]

Core Viewpoint - Donaldson Company, Inc. is preparing to release its earnings report, with Wall Street expecting growth in earnings, although analyst opinions are mixed, particularly with Nathan Jones from Stifel Nicolaus setting a lower price target of $51 [1] Group 1: Price Target Trends - The consensus price target for DCI has remained stable at an average of $90 over the past month and the last quarter, indicating no significant changes in analysts' views on the company's performance [2] - A year ago, the average price target was $83.67, reflecting a positive trend with a 7.6% increase over the year, which may be due to the company's performance or favorable market conditions [3] Group 2: Upcoming Earnings Report - Donaldson's earnings conference call is scheduled for December 4, 2025, which will provide further insights into the company's performance, and investors can access the live webcast via the company's Investor Relations website [4] - The stable price target in recent months, along with the increase from last year, suggests a cautiously optimistic outlook on DCI's future prospects [4]