The industrials sector is large and diverse, with close to four thousand public and private companies in the US. It powers the US economy, contributing 13 percent of the market capitalization and 13 percent of employment (as of 2018–19). Its segments are diverse, ranging from giant industrial machinery to tiny electronic components.
This report assesses the sector’s performance over the past five years with a view toward helping executives make well-informed decisions about driving value creation going forward. We begin by exploring how the sector’s performance has changed from 2014 through 2019, compared with the previous 15 years. In so doing, we share our analysis by micro-verticals
(sets of companies with a similar product and end-market focus) to identify which factors most contributed to overall performance. Most importantly, we explore the contribution
of different elements—operational performance, leverage, and multiples expansion—to a company’s performance, measured as total shareholder returns. We then explore COVID-19’s impact on the sector, particularly how the pandemic has forced executives to reevaluate their priorities. The report closes with our perspectives on areas that executives must focus on as they chart a path to short- and long-term success in value creation.