On Mar 30, we issued an updated research report on Nordson Corporation NDSN.In the past three months, this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock has returned 1% compared with the industry’s growth of 86.5%.Present ScenarioNordson is well poised to benefit from strength in its test & inspection, consumer non-durable, industrial and fluid dispense end markets in the quarters ahead. Also, going forward, implementation of Nordson Business System is likely to prove beneficial. For fiscal 2021 (ended October 2021), it anticipates revenue growth of 4-6% on a year-over-year basis.Also, Nordson believes in strengthening and expanding its businesses through acquisitions. In this regard, its acquisition of vivaMOS Ltd. (September 2020) has been strengthening its test and inspection capabilities. Also, the Fluortek buyout (June 2020) has been its boosting medical product lines. Notably, for the company’s Advanced Technology Solutions segment, acquired assets had a positive impact of 2% in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 (ended Jan 31, 2021).Moreover, it rewards shareholders handsomely through dividend payments and share buybacks. For instance, in first-quarter fiscal 2021, the company used $22.7 million for paying out dividends and repurchasing shares worth $5.3 million.However, though Nordson’s long-term debt decreased 8.1% sequentially to $981 million in the fiscal first-quarter, its cash and cash equivalent balance of $225.7 million does not seem impressive, considering its high debt profile.Further, the company’s international businesses have exposed it to risks arising from unfavorable movements in foreign currencies and geopolitical issues. It’s worth noting that in the fiscal first quarter, the company’s revenues declined 1.6% year over year in Japan.Stocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks from the same space are Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. AIT, The Middleby Corporation MIDD and Kadant Inc KAI, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Applied Industrial delivered a positive earnings surprise of 21.92%, on average, in the trailing four quarters.Middleby delivered a positive earnings surprise of 22.98%, on average, in the trailing four quarters.Kadant delivered a positive earnings surprise of 30.95%, on average, in the trailing four quarters.Breakout Biotech Stocks with Triple-Digit Profit PotentialThe biotech sector is projected to surge beyond $775 billion by 2024 as scientists develop treatments for thousands of diseases. They’re also finding ways to edit the human genome to literally erase our vulnerability to these diseases.Zacks has just released Century of Biology: 7 Biotech Stocks to Buy Right Now to help investors profit from 7 stocks poised for outperformance. Our recent biotech recommendations have produced gains of +50%, +83% and +164% in as little as 2 months. The stocks in this report could perform even better.See these 7 breakthrough stocks now>>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (AIT): Free Stock Analysis Report Nordson Corporation (NDSN): Free Stock Analysis Report The Middleby Corporation (MIDD): Free Stock Analysis Report Kadant Inc (KAI): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research