Standex International Corp (SXI) stock is soaring 5.70% in Friday's trading session, following the release of its impressive first-quarter earnings report. The industrial machinery and equipment company surpassed analyst expectations, demonstrating resilience in a challenging market environment.

For the quarter ended March 31, Standex reported adjusted earnings of $1.95 per share, beating the average analyst estimate of $1.92. This performance also marked an improvement from the $1.75 per share reported in the same quarter last year. Revenue for the quarter rose 17.2% to $207.78 million, outpacing analyst expectations of $204.26 million.

The strong quarterly results have reignited investor confidence in Standex, which had seen its stock price decline 12.4% over the quarter and 24.4% year-to-date prior to this report. Wall Street remains bullish on the company, with a consensus "buy" rating and a median 12-month price target of $207.50. The positive outlook is further supported by five analysts rating the stock as either "strong buy" or "buy," with no "hold," "sell," or "strong sell" recommendations.