The global Hazardous Area Equipment Market, valued at USD 13.50 Billion in 2025, is expected to grow to USD 25.28 Billion by 2035 at a CAGR of 6.48%. Growth is driven by stringent industrial safety regulations (ATEX, IECEx, OSHA), adoption of explosion-proof equipment, and smart monitoring technologies. Asia Pacific leads with 39% market share, while North America is expected to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period.

The article highlights ON Semiconductor and Rockwell Automation as undervalued industrial stocks poised to benefit from AI inference spending growth. ON Semiconductor's AI data center revenue is expected to double from $250M (2025) to $500M (2026), while Rockwell Automation is embedding AI inference models into its industrial automation solutions through partnerships with Nvidia. Both companies currently have low AI exposure but are positioned for significant long-term growth as the AI market shifts from infrastructure investment to inference deployment.

The global Manufacturing Execution System (MES) market is projected to grow from US$ 14.47 billion in 2025 to US$ 44.67 billion by 2034, driven by Industry 4.0 adoption, operational efficiency needs, and regulatory compliance requirements. Asia Pacific is expected to dominate with over 60% market share, while cloud-based solutions represent the fastest-growing segment at 15.2% CAGR in North America.

ABI Research forecasts that industrial AI in software-defined automation will exceed $5 billion by 2035, driven by agentic AI, virtual controllers, and AI-optimized industrial PCs. The market will see strong growth across DCS software (25% CAGR), industrial PCs (20.1%), virtual controllers (17.9%), SCADA/HMI software (15.3%), and PLCs (14.6%) through 2035. Process industries are expected to lead adoption, with major vendors including Siemens, SUPCON, Rockwell Automation, and CODESYS shaping the competitive landscape.

Honeywell International is splitting into Honeywell Aerospace and Honeywell Technologies on June 29, 2026. The spinoff aims to unlock shareholder value by allowing each pure-play company to receive higher valuations than the diversified conglomerate currently trades at. Honeywell Aerospace is expected to benefit from the hot aerospace sector, while Honeywell Technologies could present a value opportunity if it experiences post-spinoff weakness.

Five major companies are executing aggressive share buyback programs, signaling financial health and confidence in future cash flows. NVIDIA increased its buyback authorization by $80 billion, Citigroup announced a $30 billion buyback representing 13.7% of shares, CrowdStrike added $500 million to its authorization, Rockwell Automation increased buybacks by $1 billion, and Masco accelerated a $300 million repurchase agreement. These moves are supported by strong cash flows and analyst optimism.

The global mobile forensics market is projected to grow from USD 5.72 billion in 2026 to USD 9.99 billion by 2031, driven by increasing complexity of mobile ecosystems, encrypted applications, and privacy-focused device architectures. North America leads with 43.1% market share, while law enforcement represents the largest vertical. Key growth drivers include AI-driven automation, convergence of mobile and cloud forensics platforms, and rising demand for forensic workstations.

Dallas-based PR agency Idea Grove published the Trust Signals® B2B Brand Rankings, identifying 192 B2B companies worth watching across 16 sectors including cybersecurity, fintech, AI automation, manufacturing, supply chain, logistics, HVAC, martech, and digital signage. The rankings were developed based on two decades of market expertise evaluating companies on their products, customer base, and market credibility.

Rockwell Automation reported strong Q2 FY26 results with better-than-expected performance across all segments. The company raised its full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $12.50-$13.10 and sales guidance to $9.345-$9.701 billion, driven by solid demand in warehouse automation, data centers, semiconductors, and energy sectors. Stock surged 8.89% on the positive results.

The global Process Automation & Instrumentation market is projected to grow from $78 billion in 2024 to $113.1 billion by 2030 at a 6.4% CAGR. Growth is driven by digital transformation, IIoT adoption, regulatory compliance demands, and the need for operational efficiency across oil & gas, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and other industries. Advanced technologies like digital twins, AI, and wireless instrumentation are reshaping the sector.

Rockwell Automation's stock pulled back following strong Q1 2026 earnings that beat estimates on revenue and earnings, with net revenue growing 12.2% YoY and net income surging 65%. Despite reaffirmed full-year guidance and analyst support, the market initially sold off, though technical indicators suggest a quick rebound is likely given the company's strong fundamentals in automated manufacturing and AI applications.

Rockwell Automation reported strong Q1 fiscal 2026 results with adjusted EPS of $2.75 (up 49% YoY) beating estimates and sales of $2.105 billion (up 12% YoY). The company raised its full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $11.40-$12.20 and narrowed sales guidance to $8.80 billion. Despite the strong earnings and raised guidance, ROK stock fell 6.17% on Thursday, closing at $403.34.