Investors Gauge U.S. Output by Parker Hannifin: EcoPulse

Investors seeking confirmation of recent improvement in manufacturing activity will look to Parker Hannifin Corp. when it reports quarterly results next week.

Data from the maker of gears, pumps and valves are “one piece of the pie” investors consider to determine whether growth in capital-goods orders is sustainable, said Robert Pavlik, chief market strategist in New York at Banyan Partners LLC, which manages about $4.4 billion. That’s because the Cleveland-based company supplies equipment used in machinery, making it a “good, broader indicator” of industrial demand.