Gorman-Rupp: Why This No-Name, Long-Shot Company Is On My Watchlist

Marc Gerstein 8.32K Followers Follow 5 Share Save Play ( 18min ) Comments Summary Have you ever heard of The Gorman-Rupp Company? Me neither. But investors in bigger-name water-pump companies got to watch it emerge from the field and beat the others in 2026. I’ve wanted to invest in water — the new oil, yada, yada. But my long-ago efforts to pick an ETF bombed. It turns out GRC would have been better. Meanwhile, water infrastructure is aging badly. Add in new construction and urbanization (outside the U.S.) and cooling for data-centers — and the demand picture keeps looking better. GRC made a big acquisition in 2022, the sort that can damage small-cap acquirers. But GRC got better. As it pays down debt, it’s likely to do more acquiring. My heart wants to Buy. But my head can’t ignore the big valuations following the stocks’ 2026 mega-surge. So for now, I’m at “Hold." But keep this one on a watchlist. Kukurund/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Picture yourself watching a thoroughbred horse race. Let’s call it the Water Pump Derby . The big names are running — Franklin Electric ( FELE ), Ingersoll Rand ( IR ), Pentair ( PNR ), Dover ( DOV ), ITT ( This article was written by Marc Gerstein 8.32K Followers Follow After 43+ years working for one investment research company or another, I finally retired. So now, I’m completely independent. And for the first time on Seeking Alpha, I won’t be working based on anybody else’s product agenda. I have only one goal now… to give you the best actionable investment insights I can.I have long specialized in rules/factor-based equity investing strategies. But I’m different from others who share such backgrounds. I don’t serve the numbers. Instead, the numbers serve me… to inspire HI (Human Intelligence) generated investment stories. I definitely understand quant investing, including factors and what not (AI before it was called AI). But I don't agree with what other quants do. Rather than be obsessed with statistical studies that are no good for any time periods other than the ones studied, I combine factor work with the underlying theories of finance including classic fundamental analysis to get the true story of a company and its stock. Investing is about the future. So numbers (which necessarily live in the past) can take us just so far. They’re at their best when they cue us into stories that shed light on what’s likely to happen in the future. And that’s how I use them,I’ve had a pretty colorful career. Besides a full range of experience covering stocks from lots of different groups (large cap, small cap, micro cap, value, growth, income, special situations … you name it, I covered it) I’ve developed and worked with many different quant models. In addition, I formerly managed a high-yield fixed-income (“junk bond”) fund and conducted research involving quantitative asset allocation strategies such as are at the foundation of what today has come to be known as Robo Advising. I formerly edited and or wrote several stock newsletters, the most noteworthy having been the Forbes Low Priced Stock Report. I previously served as an assistant research director at Value Line.I also have long had a passion for investor education, which has resulted in my having conducted numerous seminars on stock selection and analysis, and the authoring of two books: Screening The Market and The Value Connection.I’m looking forward to my new incarnation on Seeking Alpha. I hope you enjoy what I offer. But if you don’t, feel free to tell me why in the comment sections. I’m a big boy. I can handle criticism. (But please don’t call me “stupid.” That’s my wife’s job!) Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.