How Is PACCAR's Stock Performance Compared to Other Manufacturing Stocks?

PACCAR Inc (PCAR), headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, designs, manufactures, and provides customer support of premium light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks under the Kenworth, Peterbilt, and DAF nameplates. Valued at $59.4 billion by market cap, the company also designs and manufactures advanced diesel engines, provides financial services, information technology, and distributes truck parts.

Companies worth $10 billion or more are generally described as “large-cap stocks,” and PCAR perfectly fits that description, with its market cap exceeding this mark, underscoring its size, influence, and dominance within the farm & heavy construction machinery industry. PCAR's strength lies in its powerful brand portfolio, including Kenworth, Peterbilt, and DAF, which are known for quality and reliability in the trucking industry. PCAR's ability to innovate and meet customer demands further solidifies its position as a leader in the industry.

Despite its notable strength, PCAR slipped 13.3% from its 52-week high of $131.88, achieved on Feb. 4. Over the past three months, PCAR stock declined 5.6%, underperforming the iShares U.S. Manufacturing ETF’s (MADE) 7.9% gains during the same time frame.

Shares of PCAR rose 4.5% on a YTD basis and climbed 22.3% over the past 52 weeks, underperforming MADE's YTD gains of 22.8% and 49% returns over the last year.

To confirm the bullish trend, PCAR has been trading above its 200-day moving average since late October, 2025, with slight fluctuations. However, the stock is trading below its 50-day moving average since late April.

PCAR’s underperformance reflected soft early-quarter demand and volatile input costs, leading to an 8.9% year over year sales drop and margin compression. CEO Feight cited improving truck segment performance but noted ongoing cost pressures. Management expects sequential gains in volumes and margins on rising build rates and Q2 deliveries, though supply chain risks and tariffs remain concerns. Late-quarter order strength, steady Parts growth, and new product launches support the outlook, but margins were hit as cost inflation outpaced pricing.

On Apr. 28, PCAR shares closed down by 6% after reporting its Q1 results. Its EPS of $1.15 surpassed Wall Street expectations of $1.13. The company’s revenue was $6.2 billion, missing Wall Street forecasts of $6.4 billion.

PCAR’s rival, AB Volvo (publ) (VLVLY) shares have taken the lead over the stock, with an 8.6% uptick on a YTD basis and 28.4% returns over the past 52 weeks.

Wall Street analysts are moderately bullish on PCAR’s prospects. The stock has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating from the 18 analysts covering it, and the mean price target of $127.90 suggests a potential upside of 11.8% from current price levels.