KeyBanc favors Ingersoll-Rand, more cautious on Watsco ahead of results. Following his quarterly channel checks, KeyBanc analyst Jeffrey Hammond views expectations for +MSD industry growth in Q2 as fully supported, and while share dynamics appear to be stabilizing, he still expects Lennox (LII) and Ingersoll-Rand (IR) to sustain outgrowth, but at a more moderate rate versus previous quarters. In addition, the analyst notes he received near-unanimous affirmation that midyear price increases are passing through without resistance, which signals positively for HVAC OEMs and distributors alike. Heading into quarterly results, Hammond favors Ingersoll-Rand, and is more cautious on Watsco (WSO) given concerns around its ability to deliver on margins versus raised expectations.
